Fight Or Flight Response

Question 1

The fight or flight respinse evolved as a

Answer 1

Survival mechanism enabling humans and animals to react quickly to dangerous, potentially life-threatening situations

Question 2

What is the fight or flight response?

Answer 2

The way an animal responds when stressed. The body becomes physically aroused in readiness to fight an aggressor or in some cases, flee

Question 3

Endocrine system and the ___ work together to produce fight or flight response

Answer 3

Autonomic nervous system

Question 4

What is a limitation of the fight or flight response?

Answer 4

Fight or flight response is also activated in conditions that are not life-threatening and where fighting or fleeing are not particularly helpful

Question 5

Explain how an acute stressor triggers the fight or flight response

Answer 5

• stressor perceived by amygdala the hypothalamus triggers activity in the sympathetic branch of the ANS- ANS changes from its resting state to (parasympathetic state) to the physically aroused sympathetic state
• hypothalamus alerts the adrenal medulla to release adrenaline and noradrenaline transported around the body via blood plasma= physiological changes in the body e.g. inc heart rate, hydrolysis of polysaccharide energy storage molecule glycogen to glucose, dilated pupils and decrease in digestive activity
• once the threat has passed, parasympathetic nervous system activated (form of homeostasis as acts as a balance to the sympathetic nervous system, ‘resetting’ all the excitation that occurred e.g. constricts dilated pupils and stimulates digestive activity

Question 6

What is a chronic stressor and what does this lead to?

Answer 6

• some stressors don’t diminish quickly e.g. stressful job, or persistent financial problems
• body cannot survive initial fight or flight response indefinitely (due to lack of digestion and salivation etc)
• the body goes into hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA)

Question 7

Explain what the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenocortical axis (HPA) does

Answer 7

• if stressor does not diminish (chronic stressor) the hypothalamus communicates with the pituitary gland in the form of CRH
• pituitary gland then communicates with the adrenal cortex
• adrenal cortex releases cortisol
• among other functions, cortisol plays a role in glycogenolysis (hydrolysis of polysaccharide storage molecule glycogen to glucose, a respiratory substrate) = provided burst of energy

Question 8

Cortisol has negative effects such as

Answer 8

Inhibiting the immune system

Question 9

Adrenaline is both a hormone and a ___________ produced by the adrenal glands (adrenal medulla)

Answer 9

Neurotransmitter