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How Does The Body React To Stress - Glossary


Glossary

Flight-fight-freeze response: The physiological reaction of an animal or human being that occurs in response to a perceived dangerous stimulus. The stimulus may be an event, attack or threat to survival.

Hypothalamus: Area located just above the brainstem, and helps to link together the body’s nervous and endocrine systems. Hypothalamus secretes hormones into the blood stream that reach out to the target endocrine glands.

Hippocampus: A structure located bilaterally, it is known to play a role in memory formation. The area contributes towards enhancing, suppressing or independently generating a stress response. This is the area that is most susceptible to chronic stress conditions.

Pituitary gland: An endocrine gland located on the sphenoid bone in the center of the skull. It is mainly responsible for secretion of hormones into the blood stream that reaches the target endocrine gland to release hormones for various physiological processes that take place in the body.

Locus coeruleus: An area located in the pons of the brainstem. Production of norepinephrine takes place here. The hormone activates the fight-or-flight response to stress.

Raphe nucleus: An area located in the pons of the brainstem. Produces and secretes the hormone serotonin as a stress response. The hormone contributes to mood regulation, especially when stress is due to depression and anxiety. It is also responsible for regulation of circadian rhythm and sensation of pain.

Prefrontal cortex: This is the anterior most region of the cerebral cortex and regulates cognitive processes such as planning, attention and problem solving.

Adrenal gland: An endocrine gland located directly above the kidney. It is divided into two parts – adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla. Secretes hormones called adrenaline and cortisol are released as a reaction to a stressful stimulus.

Nervous system: The part of the animal body that is responsible for transmission of signals from the brain to various parts of the body and vice versa. It consists of the brain, spinal cord and the nerves.

Spinal cord: Tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells. It acts as a conduit for motor and sensory information and coordinates certain reflexes.

Peripheral nervous system: The part of nervous system that includes the nerves and ganglia located outside the brain and spinal cord. It connects the central nervous system to the limbs and internal organs.

Autonomic nervous system: It is a division of peripheral nervous system that controls the functions of the internal organs. These functions include respiratory rate, heart rate, digestion, urination, sexual arousal, etc. Within the brain, hypothalamus regulates the autonomous nervous system.

Sympathetic nervous system: A sub-division of autonomous nervous system, its main function is to stimulate the body’s fight-or-flight response, or the stress response. Its tendency is to maintain homeostasis in the body.

Parasympathetic nervous system: A sub-division of autonomous nervous system, it is responsible for regulating the body’s unconscious actions and those activities that occur while the body is at rest.

Neurohormone: A hormone that is produced and released into blood by an endocrine gland that is connected to the brain. The hormone then stimulates the target endocrine gland to secrete its own hormone for a particular purpose.

Neurotransmitter: Neurotransmitter is a brain chemical present in the junctions of two or more nerve cells, called synapse. It is responsible for relaying the signals from one nerve cell to another.

Hormones: A type of signaling molecules that are produced by various endocrine glands in the body. The hormones are released into the blood stream to target distant organs and regulate physiological functions and behavior of the organism.

Homeostasis: Despite highly complex interactions that go on within the body, the human body strives to maintain balance or return the systems to functioning within normal range. This is called homeostasis. Inability to maintain homeostasis may lead to disease or death.

Corticotrophin-releasing-hormone: A hormone produced in the hypothalamus that stimulates the release of adrenocortiotropin by the pituitary gland. It is a neurohormone.

Adrenocorticotropin: A hormone produced by pituitary gland in response to the CRH released by hypothalamus, in response to a stressful stimulus. It increases production and release of corticosteroids.
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Cortisol: Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal cortex gland. It is released as a reaction to stress or low blood sugar levels. Its function is to increase blood glucose levels, suppress the immune system and aid in the metabolism of fat, carbohydrate and protein.

Norepinephrine or Noradrenaline: It is a hormone and neurotransmitter. It enables vigilant concentration. It also increases rate of contractions of the heart to increase blood flow. It prepares the body to react to stress by increasing heart rate, triggering release of glucose, increasing blood flow to skeletal muscle, etc.

Epinephrine or Adrenaline: Produced at the end of sympathetic nerve fibres and serve as chemical mediators for conveying the nerve impulses to the effector organs.
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