Endocrine L6: Stress Flashcards
What is stress?
“A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances”
What is stress in terms of physiology?
the physiological responses of the body to stressful stimuli – ‘stressors’
- May be short-lived ‘acute’ response to a single traumatic event
- Can become ‘chronic’ if stressful situation persists or is prolonged
What are the 2 types of physiological stress?
- May be short-lived ‘acute’ response to a single traumatic event
- can become ‘chronic’ if stressful situation persists or is prolonged
When subjected to a stressor, the body responds to by adapting ______ function to cope
physiological
What are stressors?
“any stimulus which causes a disruption of homeostasis leading to specific behavioural, endocrine and autonomic changes”
What are 2 types of stressors?
- Psychological stressors
- Physical stressors
They differ slightly in their origins.
What are psychological stressors?
stimuli which lead to fear, anxiety or frustration
What are 3 characteristics of psychological stressors?
- includes traumatic events such as death, divorce, conflict, abuse, war and natural disasters
- can also include excitement, nervousness
- stimuli can be real or imagined (The response the body makes is the same as if it was real)
What are physical stressors?
stimuli which disrupt normal body function, can be due internal factors or external environment
What are 2 characteristics of physical stressors?
- hypoxia, hypoglycaemia, infection, physical strain (Even exercise can be a stressor), injury, starvation, dehydration
- exposure to heat or cold
What are the 2 types of stress?
- Acute stress
- Chronic stress
What is the response to acute stress?
a normal and beneficial adaptive response
What are 4 characteristics o acute stress?
- Increases alertness and focus, provides energy to respond and cope with stressful situation
- The extent of the response is dependant on severity of stressor, and on the individual
- Mild stress improves mood, creates new memories, encourages creative thinking, promotes neural growth in brain, facilitates problem solving
- Severe stress can cause detachment, reduction in awareness, derealisation, depersonalisation, dissociative amnesia
The extent of the acute stress response is dependant on ____ of stressor, and on the ____
severity; individual
People can behave different to stress (even if its the same situation)
______ stress improves mood, creates new memories, encourages creative thinking, promotes neural growth in brain, facilitates problem solving
Mild acute
______ stress can cause detachment, reduction in awareness, derealisation, depersonalisation, dissociative amnesia (People cant remember what the stressor or stressful environment was)
Severe acute
_____ stress is healthy, only when it gets too much or too long that it is harmful (a real problem)
Mild
What are 3 characteristics of chronic stress?
- When stress is prolonged or persistent, homeostasis is unable to be maintained
- The body enters an exhausted state, when damage to health can occur, immune suppression, hypertension, gastrointestinal disturbances
- Can have detrimental psychological effects - anxiety and mental dysfunction, social withdrawal
What is the response to chronic stress be characterised as?
General Adaptation Syndrome
What is General Adaptation Syndrome?
describes the stages of your bodies response to stress, three phases
What are the 3 stages of General Adaptation Syndrome?
- Alarm (preparing to flight or fight)
- Resistance
- Exhaustion
What is the “alarm” stage of General Adaptation Syndrome?
Preparing you for ‘fight-or-flight’, heightened alertness, energy mobilised
What is the “resistance” stage of General Adaptation Syndrome?
stay alert (Tense state), but keep on with normal functioning (adaptation), homeostasis maintained
What is the “exhaustion” stage of General Adaptation Syndrome?
resources are depleted, ‘burnout’ sets in, homeostasis cannot be maintained so function impaired, long term damage occurs
What does your body actually do in response to a stressor?
- Tense
- Increased HR
- Focus (vision and hearing) –> senses
What are 9 actions of the body as a response to the acute stress response?
- Increased cardiovascular function - HR, contractility, mostly vasoconstriction (To rest to body to maintain blood pressure), with vasodilation to muscles (Large muscles that are needed for flight or fight)
- Increased respiratory function - RR & TV, bronchodilation (Breath faster and breathe deeper = more efficient)
- Liberation of nutrients - increased blood glucose & fatty acids (More available to be used)
- Skin - paling or flushing, sweating, piloerection (Hairs stand on end)
- Sensory - mydriasis (pupil dilation), auditory exclusion (Can only hear the important thing (can’t hear anything else)), tunnel vision (Focus on what is going on (can’t see anything else))
- Muscle tension & shaking
- Inhibition of gastrointestinal motility, contraction of sphincters (Focus energy and resources on muscles (more important))
- Inhibition of the lacrimal gland and salivation
- Relaxation of bladder, inhibition of erection
Stress is due to _____ and _____ responses
endocrine; nervous
What does a stressed cat look like?
The physiological responses to stressor are coordinated by the _______ system and involves both ________ and ______ system
hypothalamus; sympathetic nervous; endocrine
What are 3 characteristics of the sympathetic nervous system?
- Adrenaline (epinephrine) from adrenal medulla
- Noradrenaline (norepinephrine) from neurones
- Inhibition of parasympathetic nervous system (Eg. GIT)
What are 4 characteristics of the endocrine system?
- Cortisol & Corticosterone from adrenal cortex
- Vasopressin (Anti-diuretic hormone- In kidney to retain water –> increase fluid) from posterior pituitary
- Activation of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system (‘RAAS’, involves liver, kidneys, lungs and adrenal cortex)
- Insulin & Glucagon from pancreas