Biopsychology EQ 1

• Outline the role of adrenaline in the fight or flight response

  • released by the adrenal medulla in response to activation of the sympathetic nervous system
  • Adrenaline has a range of different effects on the body
  • Direct affects - increasing heart rate; restricting blood vessels, increasing blood flow
  • General effects - fight or flight; blood/oxygen supplied to the brain for rapid response planning; blood supplied to the skeletal muscles for physical action
• Explain the actions of the autonomic nervous system in response to threat

  • Sympathetic nervous system - responds to a perceived threat by producing physiological changes that prepare the body for fight or flight
  • Parasympathetic nervous system - restores normal physiological functioning when the treat has passed
• One function of the endocrine system?

  • secrete hormones which are required to regulate many bodily functions
  • Hormones are chemical messengers that travel to target cells via the bloodstream
• Thyroxine

  • increases metabolic rate
  • affects growth
• How does the hypothalamus link the nervous system and endocrine system?

  • CNS sends a signal to the hypothalamus
  • signal is sent to the pituitary gland which is triggered to release the hormone ACTH
  • this stimulates target glands to release their hormones