Reading: Sapolsky Chapter 2 - Glands, Gooseflesh, and Hormones

Question 1

o Stress and the autonomic nervous system

Answer 1

 The autonomic nervous system manages actions we do not have complete volitional control over.
 One half of this system is activated in response to stress and one half is suppressed
* The sympathetic nervous system is activated during stress
o Maintains; vigilance, arousal, activation, mobilization
o Aka the four f’s; fight, flight, fright and sex
o The nerve endings of this system release adrenaline and noradenaline
* The parasympathetic nervous system is suppressed
o It’s involved in mediating calm, vegetative activities including growth, energy storage and optimistic processes

Question 2

 Hormone

Answer 2

= any chemical or messenger secreted by a cell that percolates into the bloodstream and affects events far and wide

Question 3

o Your brain; The real Master Gland

Answer 3

 Was believed inititally the brain was not involved in hormone secretion and that this was regulated bia the pancreas, adrenal glands and ovaries/testes. However, we now know there are hormonal or endocrine axis in the brain to regulate this.
 Once identified that the pituitary gland is involved in these axis, scientists thought this was the master gland. However, a study in which the pituitary was removed, it was found that hormonal secretion went haywire in such conditions as the pituitary gland didn’t have the ‘hormonal game plan’
* This informed that the brain (aka hypothalamus) instructs the pituitary and the pituitary is simply part of the downward cascade

Question 4

o Hormones of the Stress-Response

Answer 4

 During stress certain hormone pathways are stimulated and others are supressed
 Hormones involved include
* Hormones secreted
o Glucocorticoids
 Group of steroids
 Secreted by adrenal glands and act similarly to epinephrine
 Secreted in the presence of CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone) along with smaller synergins like ACTH (corticotropin)
o Adrenaline and noradrenaline (aka epinephrine and norepinephrine)
o Glucagon
 Released by the prancreas
 Raises circulating levels of glucose in the bloodstream (aka mobilising energy)
o Prolactin
 Supressing reproduction during stress
o Endorphins and enkephalins
 Blunt pain perception
o Vasopressin (ADH)
 Role in cardiovascular stress response
* Hormones Supressed
o Secretion of reproductive hormones like oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone are inhibited along with growth hormone, insulin and pancreatic hormone

Question 5

There are five groups of hormones;

Answer 5

1. Androgens (anabolic steroids like testosterone)
2. Oestrogens
3. Progestins
4. Mineralocorticoids
5. glucocorticoids