PSC 126 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Allostatic Load, Allostasis, Digestion
Document Summary
Body"s responses are adapted to handling emergency. Body"s stress - responses are reasonably good at handling these disasters. Our bodies are adapted to deal w/ short - term physical emergencies. Homeostasis - idea that the body has an ideal level of oxygen that it needs, an ideal degree of acidity, an ideal temperature, etc. All variables are maintained in homeostatic balance, state in which all sorts of physiological measures are being kept at the optimal level. Stressor - anything in the outside world that knocks you out of homeostatic balance. Can also be the anticipation of something happening. Anticipatory defenses can be protective (stress- response can be preparative) Stress - response: what your body does to reestablish homeostasis. Can turn on stress -response by thinking about potential stressors that may throw us out of homeostatic balance in future. Godfathers of stress physiology - hans selye.
