Lesson 5- Fight/Flight Response & Role of Adrenaline Flashcards
What is the fight/flight mechanism and what does each option entail?
🛩/🥊- survival mechanism- enables 👨 👩 and🦒 🦓 to react quickly ⏰ to life threatening/stressful situations
- Fight 🥊- deal with stressor
- Flight🛩- run 🏃♂ away
- Both require energy
What happens in a sudden stressful situation (4 stages)?
1) Stressor occurs (causes strain or tension) and hypothalamus in 🧠 responds
2) Adrenaline released by adrenal medulla (short burst of adrenaline- response to hypothalamus registering stressful event)- causes very small changes (e.g. ❤️ rate ⬆️ by bit more than usual or slight sweating for a short ⏰ etc- minimal and ✖️ very noticeable- BUT later sympathetic nervous system FULLY ACTIVATED-> BIG CHANGES e.g. ⬆️ ❤️ rate for lengthy ⏰, deeper breathing also for ⬆️ ⏰ etc- more stressed and aware of effects
- ⬆️❤️ rate, ⬆️ breathing, ⬆️ respiration, ⬆️ sweating 😅, ⬆️ 🩸 flow to 🧠 and 💪 and … ✖️ digestion (energy saved), glucose released (needed for energy), ⬆️🩸 flow ⬆️ blood pressure & 🩸 vessels constrict
3) Body prepares for 🛩/🥊 both of which need energy
4) Sympathetic 😥 system activated- 🛩/🥊 response begins
- ⬆️❤️ rate
- ⬆️ breathing
- ⬆️ sweating 😅
- ⬇️ salivation
- Pupils 👁 dilate
What happens in a ongoing stressful situation (5 stages)?
1) Event occurs and registered by hypothalamus and … produces releasing hormone (CRH- corticotrophin releasing hormone)
2) CRH travels to anterior pituitary gland which releases hormone ACTH (Adreno-cortico-tropic-hormone)
3) ACTH travels via bloodstream to adrenal glands near kidneys and adrenal cortex is activated
4) Adrenal cortex produces:
- Cortisol (stress hormone gives person quick burst of energy to deal with stress BUT long term 👎 (cause immune system to be suppressed)
- Adrenaline- activates sympathetic nervous 😥 system and causes ⬆️❤️ rate
5) Sympathetic 😥 system activated- 🛩/🥊 response begins
- ⬆️❤️ rate
- ⬆️ breathing
- ⬆️ sweating 😅
- ⬇️ salivation
- Pupils 👁 dilate
What are the evaluation points for the fight/flight response?
👎- Taylor (2000)- 👩⬆️ likely to ‘tend and befriend’ rather than 🛩/🥊- 👩 protect themselves & their 👶 by forming protective alliances with other 👩
- 👩 also have oxytocin- prevents 👩 having 🛩 response- ⬆️ likely to stay and protect offspring
👍- 🥊/✈️ response makes sense from evolutionary psychology point of view because would’ve helped individual to survive by fighting or fleeing a threat
👎- Gray (1998)- 1st reaction to stress is to avoid confrontation and ✖️ 🛩/🥊 BUT to freeze 🥶
- Involves stopping 🛑, 👀, 👂for ranger & alerts in environment
👍- research support claim that adrenaline essential in preparing body for stress
- ppl with malfunctioning adrenal glands ✖️ have normal 🥊/✈️ response to stress
What is the Sympathomedullary Pathway also known as?
Sympathomedullary (sympathetic nervous system and adrenal medulla combined)- ALSO known as flight or fight response
What is the Sympathomedullary Pathway?
When the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is triggered by hypothalamus
Hypothalamus also sends signal to adrenal medulla (part of adrenal glands)- responds by releasing hormone adrenaline into 🩸stream
What does adrenaline do to the body?
1) ⬆️ ♥️ rate
2) ⬆️ 🩸 supply to 🧠 and skeletal 💪
3) ⬆️ rate of 🩸 flow
4) ⬆️ 🩸 pressure
5) Divert 🩸 away from skin, kidneys and digestive system
6) ⬆️ respiration and sweating 😓
Why is the release of adrenaline important in a fight or flight situation?
Prepares body for action and 🥊/✈️ by ⬆️ 🩸 supply and … oxygen to skeletal muscles 💪 for physical action and ⬆️ oxygen to 🧠 for rapid response planning
What is the role of the Parasympathetic Nervous System in the Sympathomedullary Pathway?
- When threat has passed- parasympathetic nervous system dampens down stress response
- ⬇️ ♥️beat and ⬇️ blood pressure
- Digestion, which is stopped when SNS active, restart
