Endocrine system: Stress response

Question 1

Label the diagram

Answer 1

Question 2

Label the diagram

Answer 2

Question 3

What is the purpose of the hypophyseal portal veins?

Answer 3

It is how the hypothalamus communicates with the anterior pituitary as they hypothalamus releases chemicals into it which go directly to the anterior pituitary

Question 4

How many different types of hormones does the hypothalamus and pituitary produce?

Answer 4

9 and 7

Question 5

What is the function of the pituitary gland for stress response?

Answer 5

Controls the adrenal glands

Question 6

What is the function of the adrenal glands?

Answer 6

Enhances the alarm response

Question 7

What are the two parts of the adrenal gland?

Answer 7

The adrenal medulla (inner) and adrenal cortex (outer)

Question 8

What are the hormones that are released by the adrenal gland?

Answer 8

Adrenal medulla: Epinephrine and norepinephrine

Adrenal cortex: Mineralocorticoids (i.e. aldosterone) and Glucocorticoids (i.e. cortisol)

Question 9

What is the release of the hormones in the adrenal medulla stimulated by?

Answer 9

ACh from the sympathetic pre-ganglionic neurons

Question 10

What is the release of hormones in the adrenal cortex stimulated by?

Answer 10

Mineralocorticoids: increased K+ and angiotensin II (causes increase in blood pressure FYI) in the blood

Glucocorticoids: ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic hormone) from the pituitary which is stimulated by CRH (Corticotropin-releasing hormone) from hypothalamus

Question 11

What is the function of the epinephrine and norepinephrine released by the adrenal medulla?

Answer 11

Enhances and sustains the sympathetic autonomic alarm response

Question 12

What is the function of the mineralocorticoids released by the adrenal cortex?

Answer 12

Increase blood Na+ and water amounts and decreases blood K+ leading to increased blood volume and pressure

Question 13

What is the function of the glucocorticoids released by the adrenal cortex?

Answer 13

Initiates resistance reaction, dampens inflammation and shift immunes response to be better at fight short term risks (i.e. infection fighting cells boosted over cancer fighting cells)

Question 14

Label the diagram, what is it showing?

Answer 14

This is showing a negative feedback loop for the production of cortisol which is activating the resistance reaction

Question 15

What are the actions of the resistance reaction caused by cortisol?

Answer 15

Know at least 3 of these

Protein breakdown: Increased protein break down mainly in muscle fibres for synthesis of new proteins and ATP production

Gluconeogenesis: Liver cells start producing glucose from amino acids, lactic acid etc.

Lipolysis: Breaking down of triglycerides and releasing fatty acids into blood

Vasoconstriction: Blood vessels become more sensitive to hormones that cause vasoconstriction = increasing blood pressure

Anti-inflammatory: Inhibit white blood cells that cause inflammatory response to limit damage to these cells

Question 16

What is a consequence of the anti-inflammatory response caused by cortisol?

Answer 16

It retards tissue repair and slows wound healing

Question 17

How can cortisol in high concentrations be used?

Answer 17

Used to depress immunes response post organ transplants to prevent transplant rejection

Question 18

What are the two stages of the stress response?

Answer 18

Alarm response (first stage) and the resistance reaction (second stage)

Question 19

What are the actions involved in the Alarm response?

Answer 19

Immediate action, sympathetic activation and adrenal medulla involvement (release epinephrine and norepinephrine to sustain the sympathetic activation)

Question 20

What is the purpose of the resistance reaction?

Answer 20

Slower and longer lasting cortisol production involved in countering the damage caused by the fight or flight response

Question 21

Explain the pathway of the alarm response

Answer 21

1 - Sympathetic nerves activate the adrenal medulla

2 - Adrenal medulla secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine into the blood stream

3 - Epinephrine and norepinephrine cause the alarm responses in all organs of the body and prolongs them

Question 22

Explain the pathway of the resistance response

Answer 22

1 - Neurosecretory cells release CRH (Corticotropin-releasing hormone) into primary hypophyseal portal system to the anterior pituitary

2 - Anterior pituitary release ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic hormone) into blood stream

3 - ACTH stimulates adrenal cortex to produce cortisol

4 - Negative feedback loop of cortisol invoked (i.e. high cortisol inhibits CRH and ACTH secretion)

Question 23

How do the neuroendocrine and immune systems interact?

Answer 23

Autonomic nerves and hormones form the neuroendocrine system influence the immune system and cytokines influence the neuroendocrine system

Question 24

What are cytokines?

Answer 24

Proteins that are involved in autocrine signalling, paracrine signalling and endocrine signalling

Question 25

What does our stress response allow us to do?

Answer 25

Allows humans to respond to short term physical and emotional stresses

Question 26

What are the two types of stress?

Answer 26

Eustress and distress

Question 27

What is eustress?

Answer 27

Positive stress response that quickly prepares us to physical responses

Question 28

What is distress?

Answer 28

Negative stress response caused by a prolonged stress response

Question 29

What is eustress positive and distress negative?

Answer 29

• Eustress allows for short term physical responses which are essential for our survival (i.e. increased alarm response for an immediate danger)
• Distress is when the short term changes of the alarm response are prolonged which cause harmful effects on the body (i.e. hypertension, illness…)