The correct answer is:
(a) protein kinase
Explanation:
When human cells are subjected to stressful conditions such as heat shock, oxidative stress, or other environmental stressors, protein kinases are often activated as part of a cellular stress response mechanism. Specifically, stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs) or mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play critical roles in transducing signals from stress and activating pathways that help the cell adapt, repair, or trigger apoptosis if the damage is irreparable.
These kinases activate a variety of downstream processes, including transcription factors, which control gene expression related to stress responses, such as heat shock proteins (HSPs), which help the cell manage misfolded proteins. Thus, protein kinases are central to the cellular response to stress.