Lecture 6: Stress and Cortisol

Question 1

What are some ways to define stress?

Answer 1

• A disruption of homeostasis
• Stress response - suite of physiological and behavioral responses that attempt to restore homeostasis
• An imbalance between demands and resources that necessitates reallocation from the “long term” plan

Question 2

Glucocorticoids (like cortisol) are secreted by…

Answer 2

Adrenal cortex

Question 3

Catecholamines (like

epinephrine) are secreted by…

Answer 3

Adrenal medulla

Question 4

How is stress related to life history allocations between growth, reproduction, and maintenance?

Answer 4

Purpose of stress response is to direct resources appropriately between growth, reproduction, and maintenance

Question 5

If you are exposed repeatedly to the same stressor,

you see a decrease in…

Answer 5

Cortisol

-ex: skydiving

Question 6

Allostatic load

Answer 6

Chronic burden of repeated stressors

Question 7

PTSD

Answer 7

-Exposure to a single high-stress situation, or
repeated high stress situations

-Constant activation and then return to normal
can result in dysregulation

-Less daily change in cortisol throughout the day