The physiology of stress

Which one of the following is TRUE of the sympathomedullary pathway?

Write the correct letter in your answer book.

A Action of the pathway involves the release of adrenaline only.

B Action of the pathway involves the release of both adrenaline and noradrenaline.

C Action of the pathway involves the release of neither adrenaline nor noradrenaline.

D Action of the pathway involves the release of noradrenaline only.

Keira goes to Dr Bib because she feels anxious, cries a lot and has not slept properly for weeks. Sometimes she feels her heart pounding and thinks she will faint. She always seems to have a sore throat. Keira tells the doctor about all the problems in her life; she is a long-term carer for an elderly relative and has recently been upset by difficulties at work. Dr Bib thinks Keira is suffering from stress. He takes her blood pressure and also takes a blood sample.

Discuss the role of stress in illness. Refer to Keira in your answer.

Carrie is so stressed that she lies awake at night listening to her heart pounding. She works in a large, noisy warehouse sorting packages that come along a conveyor belt. Workers who do not meet their daily target receive only the minimum wage. Carrie has failed to meet her target every day this week. The factory workers have been trying for weeks to organise a meeting to discuss working conditions and work-related illness with the manager.

Discuss what psychologists have found out about workplace stress. Refer to Carrie in your answer.

Which of the following statements about the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system is correct?

Write the correct letter in your answer book.

A It involves the release of adrenocorticotrophin hormone from the adrenal gland.

B It involves the release of adrenocorticotrophin hormone from the adrenal medulla.

C It involves the stimulation of the adrenal cortex to produce corticosteroids.

D It involves the stimulation of the adrenal medulla to produce adrenaline.

What terms are used by psychologists to describe A and B below?

A A stage-based process of adapting to a stressor which can end with damage to the immune system.

B When a person’s immune system becomes compromised so that it cannot protect the individual against disease.

In your answer book, write the relevant term alongside each letter.

A steroid hormone that regulates energy use and the immune system, secreted from the adrenal glands when stress is experienced.

Which of the following substances is described above? Write A, B, C, or D in your answer book.

A Adrenaline

B Adrenocorticotropin

C Corticotropin-releasing hormone

D Cortisol

Below are four evaluative statements about general adaptation syndrome (GAS). Which statement is TRUE ? Write A, B, C, or D in your answer book.

A It correctly explains how everyone responds in different ways to different sources of stress. B It fails to explain what happens when a person is repeatedly exposed to stress. C It is better at explaining female responses to stress than male responses to stress. D It wrongly assumes that the body responds in the same way to different sources of stress.