PSY E111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Sympathetic Nervous System, Hans Selye, Dehydroepiandrosterone
Document Summary
Hans selye: founder of the field of research concerning stress and its effects on the human body; studied the sequence of physiological reactions that the body goes through when adapting to a stressor. Alarm: sympathetic nervous system is activated; increase heart rate, blood pressure, supply of blood sugar = burst of energy: reactions fever, nausea, headache. Exhaustion: can lead to the formation of stress related disease (high blood pressure or weakened immune system) or death of the organism. Prolonged secretion of the stress hormones that can have the most harmful effects of stress. Immune system: system of cells, organs, and chemicals in the body that respond to attacks on the body from diseases and injuries. Stress triggers the same response that infection triggers. Heart disease: buildup of a waxy substance called plaque in the arteries of the heart. Diabetes: positive correlation with stress (especially type 2) Hormones: help the immune system fight the effects of stress.
