Stress

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stress, in psychology and biology, any environmental or physical pressure that elicits a response from an organism. In most cases, stress promotes survival because it forces organisms to adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions. For example, in response to unusually hot or dry weather, plants prevent the loss of water by closing microscopic pores called stomata on their leaves. This type of adaptive stress is sometimes described as eustress. However, when an organism’s response to stress is inadequate or when the stress is too powerful, disease or death of an organism may result. Such maladaptive stress is sometimes referred to as distress. Humans respond to stress through basic physiological mechanisms, similar to all other organisms; however, in humans, stress is an especially complex phenomenon, influenced and complicated by modern lifestyles and technologies.