6.4: The fight-or-flight response, including the role of adrenaline

Question 1

You are a passenger in a car that has suddenly slammed on its brakes to avoid hitting a dog. Your breathing quickens, your mouth is dry and you have a feeling of ‘butterflies’ in your stomach. But after a few minutes these physical changes start to disappear.

Using your knowledge of the body’s response to stress, explain why you are likely to have experienced the changes that occurred in the first 30 seconds (2 marks)

Answer 1

You are likely to have experienced the changes that occurred in the first 30 seconds, because the sympathetic-adrenal system is activated, hormones, such as adrenaline, are released for the fight-flight response and the digestive system ‘shuts down’

Question 2

You are a passenger in a car that has suddenly slammed on its brakes to avoid hitting a dog. Your breathing quickens, your mouth is dry and you have a feeling of ‘butterflies’ in your stomach. But after a few minutes these physical changes start to disappear.

Using your knowledge of the body’s response to stress, explain why you are likely to have experienced the changes that occurred after a few minutes (2 marks)

Answer 2

You are likely to have experienced the changes that occurred after a few minutes, because after a few minutes, the parasympathetic branch of the ANS will start to work and will start to restore the body’s response

Question 3

You are a passenger in a car that has suddenly slammed on its brakes to avoid hitting a dog. Your breathing quickens, your mouth is dry and you have a feeling of ‘butterflies’ in your stomach. But after a few minutes these physical changes start to disappear.

Using your knowledge of the body’s response to stress, explain why you are likely to have experienced the changes that occurred after a few minutes (2 marks).
You are likely to have experienced the changes that occurred after a few minutes, because after a few minutes, the parasympathetic branch of the ANS will start to work and will start to restore the body’s response.

Answer 3

This will reduce the flight or fight response and bring the body back to normal