ANT220H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Adrenal Gland, Allostasis, Parasympathetic Nervous System
Document Summary
Stress is difficult to define and it is easier to define stressors and the physiological response to stressors than it is to pinpoint what any given person means by "stress" Stress response: the way that your physiology is altered when you are exposed to a stressor. A complex network of nerve signaling and hormonal messaging designed to activate certain processes and suppress others. Stressors are defined as anything that activates a stress response. For humans, a large brain and consciousness allows us to activate a stress response by just imagining a stressful situation. Perception of a stressor is an important determinant of whether a stress response will be activated. The nature of this set of responses was first described by one of the original stress researchers, hans, selye, as the "general adaptation syndrome" Characterized by physiological changes that increase energy availability, inhibit long-term growth or maintenance activities, blunt pain, and sharpen memory.
