Fight Or Flight Flashcards
What are the two main systems involved in the fight or flight response?
SAM System and HPA System.
What does the SAM System stand for?
Sympathetic Adrenal Medulla System.
What is the role of the HPA System?
Regulates homeostasis through the Hypothalamus, Pituitary, and Adrenal cortex.
What type of stress does the SAM System respond to?
Short term stress. 6-8 weeks (acute stressor)
What type of stress does the HPA System respond to?
Long term stress. 8 weeks + (chronic stressor) E.g. trauma
What is the primary hormone released by the HPA System?
Cortisol.
What is a stressor?
An activator that triggers a stress response.
What is the primary hormone associated with the fight or flight response?
Adrenaline.
What physiological changes occur during the fight or flight response?
Increased heart rate, blood flow to vital organs, and pupil dilation.
What happens to the immune system during the fight or flight response?
It is suppressed.
What is the purpose of the fight or flight response?
A survival mechanism enabling quick reactions to life-threatening situations. Either fight threat or flee to safety.
What occurs after the threat has passed during a fight or flight response?
The parasympathetic branch of the ANS dampens the stress response. This reactivates the digestive system.
What is the ‘freeze response’?
A reaction where individuals avoid confrontation by becoming immobilized.
Why is the fight or flight response less frequently required in modern times?
There are fewer life-threatening situations compared to the past.
What does the HPA system stand for?
Hypothalamus (regulates homeostasis)
Pituitary (master gland)
Amidela Cortex (cortisol—> weekend immune system)
Weakness of F or F
Doesn’t tell us whole story. Grey found that the first phase of reaction not F or F, but avoiding confrontation. Display the ‘freeze response’ where by ‘freezing’, our attention is focused on looking at ways to make the best response for a particular threat.
Role of Cortisol (stress hormone)
-Manages how the body uses carbohydrates (bodies energy).
-Regulates blood pressure.
-Controls sleep/wake cycle.
-Increases blood sugar (energy).
Effects of adrenaline on the body
-Increased heart rate —> speeds up blood flow to vital organs, improves adrenaline speed
-Faster breathing —> inc oxygen intake
-Pupil dilation —> improves vision
AO1 1st Paragraph
A sequence of activity within the body triggered in response to stress, enabling us to react quickly to life threatening situations and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). When a stress response (threat) is detected, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic branch of the ANS which releases adrenaline from the adrenal medulla. This causes changes such as increased heart rate and dilated pupils to increase chances of survival. When the threat has passed, the parasympathetic branch of the ANS dampens down the stress response reactivating the digestive system and restoring the body to normal (rest and digest)
AO1 2nd Paragraph
There are two systems part of the fight or flight: the SAM system (Sympathetic Adrenal Medulla) and the HPA system (Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal). The SAM system is part of the nervous system and deals with short term stress (acute stressor) which is immediate (around 6-8 weeks e.g. exams). The HPA system is part of the endocrine system and deals with long term stress (chronic stressor) which is 8 weeks + e.g. trauma
