Biological Psychology Flashcards
What are stressors?
Particular things that make you feel stress. Stimuli/situations that impose demands.
What is stress?
When something in your environment exceeds your ability to cope.
Why is the stress response important in an evolutionary sense?
It allowed our bodies to prepare us to run from predators or fight rivals - fight or flight response.
What are the two stress systems and what type of stressors are they associated with?
Pituitary-adrenal system for chronic (ongoing) stressors.
Sympathomedullary pathway for acute (sudden) stressors.
What is an example of a chronic stressor?
Work, school, family life.
What is an example of an acute stressor?
Performance anxiety, accident.
What is the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) part of?
Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
What does the autonomic nervous system control?
Our internal organs e.g. glands, heart, circulatory system.
Where do nerve pathways of the SNS originate an where do they travel?
Brainstem and travel via the spinal cord and spine nerves to various body organs.
Where does one SNS nerve pathway go to?
Adrenal medulla
What do the Adrenal medulla and adrenal cortex make up?
Adrenal gland.
What does the SNS do when activated?
It stimulates the adrenal medulla to release hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream.
Complete the diagram:
Hypothalamus
|
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
|
Adrenal Medulla
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\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
|
Fight or flight responseAutonomic nervous system
Adrenaline and noradrenaline released Ito bloodstream
What is the pituitary gland connected to?
The hypothalamus
What does the pituitary gland do?
Releases hormones into the bloodstream.
