stress and health

Question 1

stress

Answer 1

a physical or psychological response to prepare a person to cope with a particular demand- fight/flight/freeze

Question 2

acute stress

Answer 2

the body’s responses to an urgent demand

Question 3

chronic stress

Answer 3

when the stress response is activated for a prolonged period of time.

Question 4

the physiological stress response

Answer 4

the sympathetic nervous system is activated.

the hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal [HPA] axis is activated.

Question 5

amygdala

Answer 5

evaluates events and processes emotions [especially fear]- involved in motivation

Question 6

hypothalamus

Answer 6

controls bodily functions and activated the pituitary gland

Question 7

pituitary gland

Answer 7

secretes hormones that act on other parts of the body

Question 8

hippocampus

Answer 8

involved in the formation and retrieval of memories

Question 9

the HPA axis in acute stress

Answer 9

• the HPA response is triggered so more cortisol is produced by the adrenal cortex
• cortisol attaches to gluco-corticoid receptors in the brain
• this tells the brain to stop making more cortisol [inhibits]
• cortisol stops being produced, stress response ceases

Question 10

the HPA axis in chronic stress

Answer 10

• HPA response is constantly triggered so there is a constant release of cortisol
• blood levels get higher and there is too much for the body to break down
• excess cortisol damages gluco-corticoid receptors
• damaged receptors can’t tell the brain to stop producing cortisol [no inhibition]
• constantly raised levels of cortisol remain

Question 11

direct effects of stress on health

Answer 11

• physiological affect on the immune system - excess cortisol is damaging- reduced T cell activity- immune system is weakened
• delayed healing
• cardiovascular system reactivity- activated platelets, increase in lipids, promotes plaque on artery walls