The Endocrine System and The Autonomic System

what type of control and the CNS and SNS involved in?

concious conrol (moving your arm) and reflective control (moving your hand when burnt)

what does the ANS and endocrine system do?

involved in whole body changes (e.g. parasympathetic and sympathetic states we see when we're looking at the stress response)

what're the endocrine glands?

hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, ovaries (female) and testes (male)

what does the hypothalamus do?

• triggers fight or flight

• part of the CNS

• not a gland

what is the pituitary gland part of?

autonomic nervous system

what is the 'hind' brain made up of?

pituitary gland, spinal cord, pineal gland, hypothalamus

what does the pituitary gland do?

• triggers and controls state changes

• e.g. fight or flight responses to stress

what is homeostasis?

• the bodies natural tendency to balance its internal environment

• the body always returns to its starting position when its able to

what is a 'natural state'?

• at a normal resting state the bodies internal processes are controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system (returns to homeostasis)

• maintains your systems while storing and conserving energy

what happens when something scares us, what does the ANS put us into?

a sympathetic state via the sympathomedullary pathway

three things about the right adrenal gland

• shaped like a triangle

• releases glucocorticoids

• (left and right) have a rich blood supply because it's above the kidneys

three things about the left adrenal gland

• semi circle shape

• medulla releases adrenaline and noradrenaline

recall the sympathetic state process

1. hypothalamus detects a stressor

2. activates the sympathetic nervous system via the pituitary gland

3. this stimulates the adrenal medulla

4. causes it to release adrenaline and noradrenaline

what are the physiological effects of the sympathetic state?

• increases heart rate

• increases breathing rate

• dilates pupils

• inhibits digestion (butterflies)

• inhibits salvia production

• contracts rectum

• turns immune system off

what are the parasympathetic state reactions to sympathetic state changes?

• decrease heart rate/breathing rate

• contracts pupils

• stimulates digestion

• stimulates salvia production

• relaxes rectum