Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Stress Response System

Stress Response System

The stress response system, also known as the fight-or-flight response, is the body's automatic physiological reaction to perceived threats. Hans Selye introduced the concept of General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) to describe the predictable pattern of changes that occur in response to stress. GAS consists of three sequential stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. This model helps explain how chronic stress can contribute to health problems.
Alarm stage
In the alarm stage, the body's initial...

Psychological Responses to Stress

Psychological Responses to Stress

Psychological responses to stress encompass the various cognitive and emotional reactions individuals experience when faced with challenging or threatening situations, such as a job loss. Prolonged exposure to stressors can disturb emotional balance, increasing negative emotions (e.g., anxiety and sadness) and diminishing positive emotions (e.g., joy and satisfaction). These persistent emotional shifts are associated with an increased risk of both physical illness and mental health issues, such...

Physiological Foundation of Stress

Physiological Foundation of Stress

Stress triggers a coordinated physiological response involving the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This dual activation ensures that the body is prepared for both immediate and prolonged stress management. The process begins with the perception of a stressor. This initial phase activates the SNS, leading to the rapid release of adrenaline (epinephrine) from the adrenal glands.
Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System
Adrenaline triggers the...

Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle

Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle

Stress is a multifaceted response to events perceived as challenging or threatening, highlighting physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions. Physically, stress can lead to fatigue, sleep disruptions, and various health issues such as frequent colds, chest pains, and nausea. Emotionally, it can manifest as anxiety, depression, irritability, and anger triggered by both minor and major life events. Cognitively, it may result in difficulty in concentration, memory, and...

Stress

Stress

When a force is applied on a body, it undergoes deformation. In order to restore the body to its original shape and/or size, an opposite or restoring force is generated within the body. This restoring force is equal to the magnitude of the applied force, but acts in the opposite direction. The amount of this restoring force developed per unit area of the body is called stress. Stress is a tensor quantity and has the SI unit pascal. Stress can be separated into four broad categories depending...

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

The response to stress—be it physical or psychological, acute or chronic—involves activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is part of the neuroendocrine system because it involves both neuronal and hormonal communication. Its function is to regulate homeostatic systems—metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune—providing the necessary means to respond to a stressor.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

TMBIM6 enhances dopaminergic neuron survival by modulating the IRE1a pathway in Parkinson's disease.

Cell death & disease·2026

Same author

FAM120A - a protein inserted in the ALS disease network.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Protein disulfide isomerases in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Endoplasmic reticulum proteostasis and neuromuscular function.

Neural regeneration research·2026

Same author

Characterization of the mutational status of glioblastoma and high-grade astrocytomas in a Latin American cohort.

Scientific reports·2025

Same author

Proteostasis decline and endoplasmic reticulum stress in aging: Implications for cellular senescence and senescence-associated secretory phenotype regulation.

Neural regeneration research·2025

Same author

Expression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated protein disulfide isomerase A3 D217N variant recapitulates early morphological alterations at the neuromuscular junction.

Neurobiology of disease·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm

Published on: May 4, 2020

When ER stress reaches a dead end.

Hery Urra¹, Estefanie Dufey¹, Fernanda Lisbona¹

¹Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Molecular Studies of the Cell, Santiago, Chile; Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta

|August 31, 2013

Summary

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress triggers the unfolded protein response (UPR) for cell survival. However, chronic ER stress can lead to cell death through apoptosis, involving pathways like BCL-2 proteins and ER calcium release.

Keywords:

Adaptation Apoptosis Cell death ER stress Unfolded protein response

More Related Videos

Enactive Phenomenological Approach to the Trier Social Stress Test: A Mixed Methods Point of View

Enactive Phenomenological Approach to the Trier Social Stress Test: A Mixed Methods Point of View

Published on: January 7, 2019

Investigating Stress-relaxation and Failure Responses in the Trachea

Investigating Stress-relaxation and Failure Responses in the Trachea

Published on: October 18, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm

Published on: May 4, 2020

Enactive Phenomenological Approach to the Trier Social Stress Test: A Mixed Methods Point of View

Enactive Phenomenological Approach to the Trier Social Stress Test: A Mixed Methods Point of View

Published on: January 7, 2019

Investigating Stress-relaxation and Failure Responses in the Trachea

Investigating Stress-relaxation and Failure Responses in the Trachea

Published on: October 18, 2022

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Pathophysiology

Background:

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress impacts secretory pathway function in various conditions.
The unfolded protein response (UPR) is activated to restore ER homeostasis and promote cell survival.
Irreversible ER stress can shift UPR from adaptation to pro-apoptotic signaling, leading to cell death.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a comprehensive overview of signaling networks involved in ER stress-induced apoptosis.
To elucidate the mechanisms initiating ER stress-dependent cell death.
To integrate recent findings on microRNAs and oxidative stress in cell fate decisions.

Main Methods:

Literature review and synthesis of existing research on ER stress and apoptosis.
Analysis of signaling pathways including the BCL-2 family and ER calcium release.
Integration of emerging roles for microRNAs and oxidative stress.

Main Results:

The UPR initially promotes cell survival but can trigger apoptosis under prolonged stress.
Key pathways implicated in ER stress-induced apoptosis include BCL-2 family proteins and ER calcium release.
MicroRNAs and oxidative stress are identified as critical regulators in the transition to cell death programs.

Conclusions:

Understanding the integrated signaling networks is crucial for comprehending cell elimination under chronic ER stress.
Further research into these pathways may reveal therapeutic targets for diseases involving ER stress.
This overview highlights the complex interplay between adaptive and death pathways during ER stress.