PSYC 328 Lecture 2: Health psyc ch.2 notes
8 Apr 2018
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Health psychology chapter 2: the systems of the body. The body"s systems are interconnected and disruptions in one system can result in problems in other systems. Lo1 what is the function of the nervous system? nervous system (cid:314) a complex network of interconnected nerve fibres that functions to regulate many important bodily functions including the response to and recovery from stress. The brain is the command centre of the body, receiving afferent (sensory) signals from peripheral nerve endings and sending efferent (motor) signals to the extremities and to internal organs. The role of neurotransmitters neurotransmitters (cid:314) chemicals that regulate nervous system functioning. The catecholamine"s (epinephrine, norepinephrine) promote sympathetic nervous system functioning: (cid:313) heart rate, blood vessels constrict, (cid:313) blood pressure (more blood to muscles, (cid:313) respiration (more air to lungs, (cid:315) digestion and urination, pupils dilate, sweat glands stimulated. Repeated arousal of the sympathetic nervous system can result in chronic disorders such as coronary artery disease and hypertension.
