Fight Or Flight Response

Question 1

Define the fight or flight response.

Answer 1

The fight or flight response was evolved as a survival mechanism and is a sequence of activity in the body which is triggered by a stressor that helps us respond to life threatening situations that can be dealt with by either ‘fighting” or “running away/flying”.

Question 2

What is the amygdala?

Answer 2

The part of the limbic system implicated in detecting fearful or threatening stimuli.

Question 3

Detection of threat in the amygdala may be so quick that it can be without what?

Answer 3

Conscious awareness

Question 4

Where are there connections from the amygdala to and what do they do?

Answer 4

To the autonomic nervous system to help the body prepare for the fight or flight response.

Question 5

What is the role of the hypothalamus?

Answer 5

Functions like a command centre in the brain, communicating with the rest of the body through the sympathetic nervous system.

Question 6

What does the hypothalamus do when a stressor is triggered?

Answer 6

It activates two major systems:
- Sympathetic Adrenal Medullary System (SAM)
- Pituitary Adrenal Axis (HPA)

Question 7

What is the adrenal medulla and what does it do?

Answer 7

Adrenal medulla is the inner part of the adrenal glands which releases adrenaline and noradrenaline into the blood stream.

Question 8

What does adrenaline do?

Answer 8

• Acts directly on the heart and circulatory system to speed up heart rate, pushing blood to the muscles, heart and other vital organs- blood pressure increases.
• Breathing becomes more rapid, increasing oxygen intake
• Boosts the supply of oxygen to skeletal muscles allowing for increased physical activity
• Triggers the release of glucose and fats into the bloodstream, providing energy for the fight or flight response
• Reduces the activity of the parasympathetic branch of ANS, suppressing non-emergency bodily processes (digestion)

Question 9

What does noradrenaline do?

Answer 9

Constricts blood vessels causing an increase in blood pressure

Question 10

Describe the process of the fight or flight response.

Answer 10

The amygdala detects a fearful or threatening stimuli and sends messages to the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to help the body prepare for the fight or flight response via connections. The detection of the fearful stimuli can be rapid and therefore do new without conscious awareness. Then, the hypothalamus, which functions like a command centre and communicates with the rest of the body through the parasympathetic nervous system, activates two major systems; the Sympathetic Adrenal Medullary System and the Pituitary Adrenal Axis. The adrenal medulla then releases adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream.

Question 11

Describe the process of the fight or flight response.

Answer 11

The amygdala detects a fearful or threatening stimuli and sends messages to the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to help the body prepare for the fight or flight response via connections. The detection of the fearful stimuli can be rapid and therefore do new without conscious awareness. Then, the hypothalamus, which functions like a command centre and communicates with the rest of the body through the parasympathetic nervous system, activates two major systems; the Sympathetic Adrenal Medullary System and the Pituitary Adrenal A