Fight or flight response

• Fight or flight

  1 - when we are threatened or stressed our body reacts in specific ways. Our muscles tense and breathing becomes faster. This is known as fight or flight response.

  It has evolved as a survival mechanism and is activated in any stressful situation
• How it works - fight or flight

  • 2 - the amygala associated what we feel with emotions and sends distress signals to the hypothalamus.
  • 3 - This activates the sympathetic branch of the ANS which sends a signal to the Adrenal medulla which secretes adrenaline
• How it works - fight or flight

  • 4- Our sympathetic nervous system immediately prepares us for action. This system is designed to deal immediately with short lived stress by channeling resources into the areas of the body that are needed
• Role of adrenaline

  It prepares the body for fight or flight by making it ready to run faster (flight) or be as strong as possible (fight).

  Adrenaline has a range of effects on the body
• Effects of adrenaline on the body

  • Increased heart rate
  • Constricts blood vessels
  • Increasing rate of blood flow
  • Raising blood pressure
  • Divert blood away from the skin
  • Increase sweating
• How it works

  • 5 - once threat has passed the parasympathetic nervous system returns the body to resting state.