11.4

Question 1

What broad dimensions can stress be defined on?

Answer 1

1. Eliciting stimulus (stressor)
2. How it is processed (body and brain)
3. Response to stressors (behavioral and physiological)

Question 2

What does stress trigger the release of?

Answer 2

• Cortisol from the adrenal cortex
• Epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) from the adrenal medulla
  
  • Boosts heart rate, breathing, etc., in preparation for action

Question 3

What is stress immunization?

Answer 3

Mild stress early in life improves resiliency to later stress

Question 4

What are epigenetic regulation?

Answer 4

changes in gene expression that are due to environmental effects (rather than changes to a nucleotide sequence of the gene)

Question 5

Release of adrenal steroid hormones during stress

Answer 5

suppress the immune system, acting as a short-term defense mechanism by allowing all resources to be used for immediate survival (escaping a predator)

Question 6

Humans (and baboons) are capable of experiencing stress for long periods, but this is detrimental to immune function

Question 7

Suicide victims who had a childhood history of abuse or neglect exhibited the same epigenetic change in adrenal steroid receptor expression as seen in rats.