What is the physiology of stress?

Stress is a multidimensional phenomenon which involves both nervous and endocrine system. The first step in stress response is the perception of the threat (stressor). Whenever there is some stressor – real or imagined, it acts at the level of brain. In the brain, it is the hypothalamus which perceives the stressor.

What are the three pathways of stress physiology?

Three systems are directly involved with the physiology of stress: the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system, all of which can be triggered by per- ceived threats.

What are the two main physiological systems involved in the stress response?

Key components of the stress system are the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which interact with other vital centers in the central nervous system (CNS) and tissues/organs in the periphery to mobilize a successful adaptive response against the imposed stressor(s).

What physiological changes happen during stress?

Physiologic changes of this mass discharge effect include increased arterial pressure, more blood flow to active muscles and less blood flow to organs not needed for rapid motor activity, increased rate of blood coagulation, increased rates of cellular metabolism through the body, increased muscle strength, increased …

What is the physiological response to a stressor?

Stress is defined as a physiological or biological response to a stressor. The stress response system is a common pathway across organisms, which is designed to temporarily assign energy currency from areas of the body considered useless in a stressful situation to other areas in the body that are beneficial for survival.

What are the effects of stress on the body?

The body’s physiologic responses to trauma and invasive surgery serve to attenuate further tissue damage. Exposure to chronic stress insults can cause maladaptive reactions including depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and heart disease. [2]  Cellular An essential component in the physiology of a stress response is cortisol.

How is the nervous system related to stress?

Three systems are directly involved with the physiology of stress: the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system, all of which can be triggered by per- ceived threats. Because the immune system is so closely linked to the disease process, it will be dealt with sepa- rately in Chapter 3.

What happens to the brain during chronic stress?

Chronic stress is thought to wither the fragile connection between neurons in this part of the brain, resulting in “brain shrinkage.” Until recently it was believed that, unlike the voluntary somatic system involved in muscle movement, the ANS Chapter 2 36