Introductory Terms
Extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
8 Main Long Term effects
Decrease in cognitive function, insomnia, fatigue, muscle atrophy, ulcers, bone decalcification, neural degeneration, immunosuppression.
What is stress immunization?
Build up a resistance to experiencing stress.
Function of the hypothalamus
controls the pituitary gland
What are glucocorticoids (which ones) and what do they do?
Family of hormones known as the stress hormones: epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine (no adrenaline) and cortisol (stress).
Stress definition
Feeling of mild anxiety or pressure
7 Health risks connected to stress
hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity, depression, anxiety, shorter life expectancy.
How can you do stress immunization? (3 things)
Expose yourself to moderate levels of stress to resist future stress. Have to have enough recovery time between stressors, have to have a calming element as well.
Which glands make up the HPA axis?
Hypothalamus, pituitary, and the adrenal gland
What are the first 3 steps in the HPA axis stress response (CNS stress response)?
1.) Stress increases
2.) Increase in hypothalamus activation
3.) Rest of the HPA axis activates
Amino acid sequences; genetic code of the individual. All of the information is found inside the cells. Never changes, not all genes are expressed, hereditary information. Just because people have the same genotype (twins) doesn't mean they'll have the same phenotypes.
Definition of ulcers
Damage in the lining of the digestive tract
What is epigenetics?
Gene expression (phenotype) is modified by life experiences, which can be passed down to offspring.
Functions of the pituitary gland
What kind of stress does the HPA axis activate to?
Physical and mental stress
2 Examples of Eustress and definition
Winning a game, exercising; positive stress
What bacteria causes ulcers and how?
H. Pylori releases a toxin that erodes the lining; stress increases the releasing of this bacteria
What is altered and what isn't altered in epigenetics?
Genotype isn't altered, phenotype is
Adrenal Glands function
Helps trigger the fight or flight response
HPA axis activates when experiencing stress _____
Proportionally
Phenotype (definition and characteristics)
Expression of the genotype that is visible to other people and can be observed. (Eye color). Can be influenced by the environment, can be changed, only includes what we can observe.
What is the immune system?
Collectio of white blood cells in the blood stream. Fights off diseases and illnesses
What is an example of epigenetics?
Someone can not have a gene for anxiety, but the environment (stressful home life) can cause it. Then, the new anxiety "gene" can get passed down to offspring.
What is the endocrine system and what does it do?
It is a network of glands that produce hormones into the bloodstream. Tells organs to activate/deactivate physiological processes.
What are the last 3 steps in the stress response?
4.) Glucocorticoids are released into bloodstream
5.) As cortisol in blood rises, it will reach a threshold level that the hypothalamus detects
6.) Hypothalamus shuts down and the rest of the HPA axis follows suit.