Which of the following systems are responsible for your body’s physical response to stressors?

In this blog we will answer the question ‘Which of the following systems are responsible for your body’s physical response to stressors?’and summarize the reaction of the brain to stress.

Which of the following systems are responsible for your body’s physical response to stressors?

The systems that are responsible for the body’s physical response to stressors are the Autonomic Nervous System, Sympathetic Nervous System and the Parasympathetic Nervous System. The Autonomic Nervous System works automatically and is responsible for regulating the blood pressure and controlling the rate of breathing. 

The Autonomic Nervous System is the part of the Nervous System that regulates the internal organs of the body and its processes.

• Temperature of the body
• Digestion
• Blood Pressure
• Urination
• Defecation
• Sexual response
• Metabolism
• Electrolyte balance
• Heart rate
• Breathing rate

The Autonomic Nervous System is divided into two categorical domains

1. Sympathetic Nervous System

This division of the Autonomic Nervous System comes into action when the body is in a stressful situation. The effect it has on the body is to prepare it for ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ response. 

It makes the heart beat faster, opens up the air passages of the lungs to inhale or exhale more often, pupils to dilate, all in all it gets the body in a condition where it will fight the stressor or flee from it. The limbs get an extra supply of blood due to oxygenation, to make sure that they are supple and ready for running away from the painful or stressful stimulus.

2. Parasympathetic Nervous System

This division of the nervous system is the  opposite of the Sympathetic Nervous System, the opposite of flight and fight response.

Endocrine System

Another system responsible for dealing with stressors is the Endocrine System. This system is composed of ductless glands that release hormones. The hormones have  profound effects on our bodies and are released by glands that are present in various parts of the body. 

When we are faced with stress, the endocrine glands secrete certain hormones that have a profound effect on our bodies. These hormones are responsible for every cell and its function in the body. The endocrine system is responsible for puberty, pregnancies, mood, metabolism, organs and reproduction.

Parts of the Endocrine System

1. Pituitary Gland

This is also known as the master gland and controls the other glands and tells them what has to be done. It secretes hormones that are responsible for breastmilk and the hormones specific for males and females, like estrogen in women and testosterone in men. 

2. Hypothalamus. 

Is an organ that connects the endocrine system with the nervous system. It intimates to the Pituitary gland when the hormones are to be secreted.

3. Thyroid gland. 

Makes and secretes the thyroid hormone, which controls the metabolism of the body. Low secretion levels of the hormone leads to a condition called Hypothyroidism, that causes the heart rate to slack, constipation may occur and weight gain will take place.

A condition where excess Thyroid hormone is secreted, is called Hyperthyroidism. In this condition the heart rate might increase, diarrhea can occur and the person may lose weight without even on a diet.

4. Parathyroid. 

This is a group of four small glands located behind the thyroid gland. They play a pivotal role in the bone health of the body, controlling the levels of calcium and phosphorus. 

5. Adrenal Glands

These are each located on top of each kidney and are responsible for secreting the hormone Adrenaline. This very hormone is the one that is responsible for dealing with a stressful situation in the body. 

When the body is exposed to stress, the Adrenaline prepares to toughen up the limbs and the muscles for a fight and flight response. This is a very important function of this division of the nervous system and the entire body is at its disposal during danger or threat.

Cortisol is the name of the hormone that controls stress. Cortisol is the brain;’s built in alarm system and controls the mood, motivation and fear.

• It regulates the use of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
• Regulates the blood pressure
• Spikes up the blood sugar (glucose)
• Controls the sleep cycle
• Elevates energy to handle stress thus restoring the balance after the stress has evaded.

The systems that are responsible for our body’s physical response to stress are vital for survival, because they determine the way we react and the way we evade stress and danger.

You might wonder, what are the effect of shouting on health? In one of our blogs, we’ve answered this question for you.

In this blog we have answered the question ‘Which of the following systems are responsible for your body’s physical response to stressors?’and summarized the reaction of the brain to stress. 

If you’ve enjoyed the ”Which of the following systems are responsible for your body’s physical response to stressors?” mentioned above, I would recommend you to take a look at ”Paralyzed by stress” too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Titles to read 

• How the Endocrine System Works (The How it Works Series) by J. Matthew Neal

• The Endocrine System: Systems of the Body Series by Joy P. Hinson Raven BSc PhD DSc FHEA, Peter Raven BSc PhD MBBS MRCP MRCPsych FHEA, et al.

• The Stress-Proof Brain: Master Your Emotional Response to Stress Using Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity by Melanie Greenberg PhD

Citations

• https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-cortisol#1
• https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-stress-response-3145148#:~:text=Your%20stress%20response%20is%20the,situations%20are%20known%20as%20stressors.