Lecture 18: Stress and Health

Question 1

What are the 3 Neural Mechanisms to responding to flight or fight?

Answer 1

Direct behavioral, Sympathetic system, and Hormonal

Question 2

What is the Sympathetic System known as?

Answer 2

“Flight or fight” ; energy spending
originates in the hypothalamus which receives from the amygdala

Question 3

What is the Parasympathetic System known as?

Answer 3

“rest and digest” ; energy conserving

Question 4

What do neuronal projections from the hypothalamus to the heart do?

Answer 4

Increase HR and BP
gets fuel via blood to brain and muscles to make ATP

Question 5

What do neuronal projections from the hypothalamus to the lungs do?

Answer 5

Increase breathing rate and dilate air passages to release hormones into the blood: Adrenaline and Noradrenaline

Question 6

Does the adrenal cortex get input from the sympathetic system or parasympathetic?

Answer 6

Sympathetic. The parasympathetic does not innervate the adrenal gland.

Question 7

What are the effects of Adrenaline and Noradrenaline?

Answer 7

1. Increases HR, BP, and breathing rate… as does direct neural input from hypothalamus to heart and lungs.
2. Stimulates liver to break down glycogen into glucose.

Question 8

What does the Adrenal Cortex release into the blood?

Answer 8

Cortisol “stress hormone”

Question 9

What are the effects of cortisol?

Answer 9

1. Stimulate liver to break down glycogen
2. Increase HR and BP
3. Increase metabolic rate: glucose + O2 -> ATP

Question 10

When is cortisol the highest in the day?

Answer 10

In the morning.

Question 11

Why does the Sympathetic System have a hormonal component ?

Answer 11

It is because the hypothalamus sends neural signals to the Adrenal Medulla which releases its hormones.

Question 12

Why is there no way to turn off the adrenal gland?

Answer 12

Because the parasympathetic system does not innervate the adrenal gland.

Question 13

What are the types of physical illness?

Answer 13

Normal illness, hypochondria, malingering, and munchausen’s.

Question 14

What are some examples of Behavioral medicine?

Answer 14

Holistic Medicine: eating and drinking habits, exercise, and attitudes.

Question 15

What are some long term illnesses caused by stress?

Answer 15

Memory loss, high BP, ulcers, and immune deficiencies.

Question 16

Why do ulcers happen?

Answer 16

1. Rebound of the parasympathetic system input after sympathetic system is turned on.
2. Helicobacter Pylori bacteria

Question 17

Define Antigen.

Answer 17

“Foreign” particle that elicits an immune response.

Question 18

Define Leukocytes.

Answer 18

White blood cells.

Question 19

What are the types of leukocytes?

Answer 19

B-cells, T-cells, Natural killer cells, and macrophages.

Question 20

Define B-cells.

Answer 20

Make specific antibodies (proteins) that attach to and attack specific antigens (made in “B” one).

Question 21

Define T-cells.

Answer 21

Directly attack (specific) antigens. Made in bone but mature in “T” hymus.

Question 22

Define natural killer cells.

Answer 22

Blood cells. Non-specific killing of antigens (and tumor cells).

Question 23

Define Macrophages.

Answer 23

Remove waste, causes inflammation (as a part of immune response)

Question 24

How does anxiety affect the immune system?

Answer 24

Dampens the immune system.

Question 25

Explain the Study of the Upper respiratory infection and anxiety.

Answer 25

Daily log of anxiety and illness (correlational)
Daily log of anxiety and expose people to virus (virus is “necessary” but not sufficient.