fight or flight

• which systems are involved in fight or flight?

  the nervous system and the endocrine system
• why are anxiety and fear important?


  they act as a mechanism to protect the body from danger, so is important for survival.
• what three things are fight or flight?

  primative, innate and automatic
• what happens in a dangerous situation?


  your sympathetic nervous system kicks in and in an instant your body prepares itself for either defense or escape.
• what happens when the 'threat' has passed?


  the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in to return the body to normal. You feel an instant relief, but your body takes longer to adjust as the system is slow acting.
• where is cortisol released from?

  the cortex of the adrenal glands.
• where is adrenaline released from?

  the medulla of the adrenal glands.
• what is the role of adrenaline?


  - increases the heart rate, contracts bloods vessels, increases breathing rate and dilates air passages. This increases oxygen levels in the blood and around the body.

  - dilates pupils and causes sweating.
• what happens to oxygenated blood when adrenaline is released?


  oxygenated blood is diverted from the digestive system and increased to the muscles. (peristalsis stops and saliva is inhibited causing a dry throat.)
• what is the role of cortisol?


  - increases the amount of glucose in the blood by speeding up the conversion of stored glycogen to glucose.

  -- this gives a quick burst of energy, heightened memory function, burst of increased immunity and lower sensitivity to pain.