stresors

Stresors are factors that provoke a stress response in living beings or systems. The term covers physical, psychological, and environmental triggers that disrupt homeostasis or performance. In English, the standard plural is stressors; “stresors” appears in some texts or non-English contexts. This article treats stresors as the general class of stress-inducing factors, noting that terminology varies by language and field.

Stresors are commonly grouped into physical, psychological, and environmental categories. Physical stresors include heat or cold, noise, injury, toxins, and dehydration. Psychological stresors involve perceived threat, cognitive load, or social conflict. Environmental stresors encompass pollution, crowding, habitat disturbance, and climate-related change. Stressors may be acute, lasting minutes or hours, or chronic, persisting for months or years.

Exposure to stresors activates the body’s stress response, notably the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. This yields hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, and physiological effects like elevated heart rate and energy mobilization. Short-term responses can be adaptive, but chronic stresors may contribute to health issues, including cardiovascular disease, sleep disruption, and mood disorders.

In ecological contexts, stresors threaten populations and communities by reducing survival and altering interactions. Drought, pollution, invasive species, and climate shifts are common stressors for ecosystems. They can interact in complex ways, producing cumulative effects that exceed individual impacts. Managing stresors involves reducing exposure, mitigating damage, and enhancing resilience through habitat protection and adaptive strategies.