Fight or Flight
Introduction
The fight or flight is a reaction of the brain in responding to the environment. However, the response before it takes action it undergoes several process in different parts of the brain that receives and release information. And there are many nerves that connect and communicate that produce responses.
This paper will explore on the parts of the brain that deals how to response on scary stimuli and receive information and identify where the communication changes. How the neuron receives and transmits messages. This will tell also the electrochemical process with in the brain with the Transmission from Axons to Terminal buttons to next Neuron. How the Autonomic Nervous System is Involve in the processing that discusses the parts of the Brain that is Most Used. A hypothalamus role is activating the endocrine system. The pituitary gland is responding the process and releases hormones needed by the process.
Scary Stimuli
The Scary Stimuli writes by Robert Todd Carroll (updated 2003) states that it is “perceived by definite brain structures, including the amygdala, is to increase the levels of certain hormones in the blood. These hormones (including epinephrine and neuroepinephrine) and their associated by-products, along with the mental keenness to take action to worry, can and do bring out a “fight-or-flight” response in most persons that are ready to be freaked out. This is almost the same reaction as one has to a ride on a roller coaster, or to meet up with a stray dog.”
Senses Receiving Information
According to M.J. Farabee (2000) the senses that will receive information is neuron it is highly specialized cells that generate and transmit bioelectrical impulses from one part of the body to another, it known as the functional unit of the nervous system. This contains nerve tissue having cell body input zone of dendrites and an output zone of an axon.
Identify where the Information Changes to a Neural message and
How Neurons Receive and Transmits Messages
“The dendrites at the top of the neuron receive input from the neurotransmitters and increase a stored variable which, when it reaches a certain point, will tell the neuron to “fire”. This process is intended to mimic the way in which, during depolarization, the difference between the ionic concentration inside and outside the cell will gradually reach equilibrium, and the cell will then experience a massive influx of positively charged ions, bringing the membrane potential to a sudden positive spike. The firing in this model is shown by a red line that descends along the neural axon. The depolarization reaches the terminals at the ends of the axon; the neuron releases a set of neurotransmitters which communicate the signal to the next cell” (Amelia Goodyear, Communication Online).
Neurons receive and transmit messages through the sensory neurons which typically have a long dendrite and short axon, and carry messages from sensory receptors (e.g., in skin, eyes, nose, tongue, ears) to the central nervous system. Second is Motor neurons have a long axon and short dendrites and transmit message from the central nervous system to the muscles or glands. Third, is interneuron that is found only in the central nervous system where they connect neurons to neuron (Chudler, 2006)
Electrochemical Process
Electrochemical process is a chemical change accompanying the passage of an electric current, especially as used in the preparation of commercially important quantities of certain chemical substances. The reverse change, in a chemical reaction is used as source of energy to produce an electric current, as in a battery (Answer Corporation 2007).
The electrochemical process in nerve message is done in the plasma membrane of neurons, like all other cells, it has an unequal distribution of ions and electrical charges between the two side of the membrane. The outside of the membrane has a positive charge, inside has a negative charge. This charge differences is a resting potential and is measured in millivolts. Passage of ions across the cell membrane passes the electrical charge along the cell. The voltage potential is -65mV (millivolts) of a cell at rest. (M.J. Farabee 2000)
Moreover, the resting potential results from differences between sodium and potassium positively charged ions and negatively charged ions in the cytoplasm. Sodium ions are more concentrated outside the membrane, while potassium ions are more concentrated inside the membrane. This imbalance is maintained by the active transport of ions to reset the membrane known as the sodium potassium pump. The sodium-potassium pump maintains this unequal concentration by actively transporting ions against their concentration gradients. (M.J. Farabee 2000)
Transmission from Axons to Terminal buttons to next Neuron
Excerpted from the PSYweb Online (n/d):
The axon is a thin elongated part of a neuron that extends from the soma to the terminal buttons. Terminal buttons exist at the ends of the many branches that divide out from the axon. The terminal buttons receive the message transferred down the axon, store them in their synaptic vesicles and are responsible for secreting these transmitter substances.
These transmitter substances are called neurotransmitters.
The terminal buttons release these message carriers into the synapses the junctions between two neurons, usually between the terminal buttons of one neuron and the dendrites of another neuron. These messages are transferred in one direction. For this reason, the transferring neuron is the presynaptic membrane, while the receiving neuron is the postsynaptic membrane. It transmits information down its length from the soma towards the terminal bottoms in the form of action potential. The terminal buttons then synapse with other neurons, gland cells, or muscle cells. The neuron then processes the information.
What Parts of the Brain are involved with Receiving
A sensory area is one part of the brain involved in receiving information about temperature, taste, touch, and movement from the rest of the body. “Sensory neurons (neurones) are nerve cells within the nervous system responsible for converting external stimuli from the organism’s environment into internal electrical motor reflex loops and several forms of involuntary behavior, including pain avoidance.” (Wikipedia Online)
How the Autonomic Nervous System is Involve
The autonomic nervous system is controlling the involuntary or automatic activities of the body. It is made up of two divisions, which are antagonistic in their action. The sympathetic system stimulates heart, stomach, intestines, blood vessels, and the iris of the eye, sweat glands, and the bladder. This is an emergency nervous system, which takes control of many internal functions in conditions of anger, fear, worry, and strenuous physical activity. Sympathetic impulses prepare for “flight or fight”. The parasympathetic nervous system has the opposite effect of the sympathetic system. Under ordinary circumstances this system dominates many automatic functions.
Which Parts of the Brain is Most Used
According to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2005) that the most use part of the brain is “cerebrum sits at the topmost part of the brain and is the source of intellectual activities. It holds your memories, allows you to plan, enables you to imagine and think. It allows you to recognize friends, read books, and play games.” All the activities in our daily lives succeed because of cerebrum especially in reading where you need to analyze and think to understand what you have read.
Identify the Hypo Thalamus role in Activating the
Endocrine System and What the Pituitary Glands do
Excerpted from Body Guide by Adam Online (2001):
The hypothalamus is the main neural control center (brain part that controls endocrine glands). The pituitary gland lies just below the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland is a small endocrine gland that secretes a variety of hormones (organic chemicals that regulate the body’s physiological processes). When the hypothalamus detects certain body changes, it releases regulating factors (chemicals that stimulate or inhibit the pituitary gland). The pituitary gland then releases or blocks various hormones. Because of this close association between the nervous and endocrine systems, together they are called the neuroendocrine system.
“The hypothalamus is a region of the brain that controls an immense number of bodily functions. It is located in the middle of the base of the brain, and encapsulates the ventral portion of the third ventricle” (Bowen, 2001). Ivy rose data base (2007) state that “hypothalamus is part of the Brain: The Control and Relay Centre of the Endocrine System.” After the hypothalamus instructs the endocrine system this system releases hormones.
Online 2001
Identify How this relates to the Fight or Flight Response
It is in an autonomic nervous system where response comes from that “regulates our body’s internal environment. The sympathetic division activates the body, expending energy for fight or flight” (Psychological Science 2007)
“The body (the brain included) is tuned into a state that allows for the safer incorporation of physical punishment, the more effective application of force by the muscles, and the more efficient high-speed processing of incoming stimuli. This state happens to be pleasurable to many people, especially those who term themselves adrenaline junkies” (Robert Todd Carroll 2003)
“Adrenaline is hormones that release adrenal glands. This hormones work to try to prepare of the body to make it more alert and ready for when extra energy and exertion is needed” (EB Website Online). It is responsible in giving response to emergency that if there are accidents happen it make you stronger you will be able to carry refrigerator. But, after the emergency happens you could no longer carry the refrigerator alone. In other words it will tell you to fight or flight.
Conclusion
The brain composed of many parts that receive information and relay it in many parts of your body. Then the body reacts the information receives from outside environment. The reaction of the body releases response if you fight or flight. The response depends on the hypothalamus how it takes the situation.
References
“Axon and Terminal Button” PSYweb Online. 10 February 2007, from <http://psyweb.com/Physiological/Neurons/axon.jsp>.
Bowen, R.A. Hypothalamus. 8 February 2007, from <http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/hypopit/anatomy.html>.
Chudler, Eric. H. “Types of Neurons”. 8 February 2007, from <http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/cells.html>.
“Electrochemical Process” Answer Corporation. 8 February 2007, from <http://www.answers.com/topic/electrochemical-process>.
“How Are Neural Messages Integrated into Communication Systems?” Psychological Science. 11 February 2007, from <http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/psych/psychsci/ch3_overview.htm#>.
“ Know Your Brain”. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 9 February 2007, from <http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/know_your_brain.htm>.
“ Nervous System” Adam Online. 9 February 2007, from <http://www.besthealth.com/besthealth/bodyguide/reftext/html/nerv_sys_fin.html>.
“Sensory Neuron” Wikipedia online. 11 February 2007, from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_neuron>.
