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Defense Physiology: From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

The document discusses defense physiology, which refers to the physiological changes that occur in response to stress or threats. When a threat is perceived, the body executes the fight-or-flight response, initiating specific physiological changes to prepare the body to deal with the threat. The effects can be acute for short-term threats or chronic if the threat is prolonged.

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40 views2 pages

Defense Physiology: From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

The document discusses defense physiology, which refers to the physiological changes that occur in response to stress or threats. When a threat is perceived, the body executes the fight-or-flight response, initiating specific physiological changes to prepare the body to deal with the threat. The effects can be acute for short-term threats or chronic if the threat is prolonged.

Uploaded by

Shyamol Bose
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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7/3/2016

DefensephysiologyWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Defensephysiology
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Defensephysiologyisatermusedtorefertothesymphonyofbodyfunction(physiology)changeswhichoccurin
responsetoastressorthreat.
Whenthebodyexecutesthefightorflight"reactionorstressresponse,thenervoussysteminitiates,coordinates
anddirectsspecificchangesinhowthebodyisfunctioning(physiology),preparingthebodytodealwiththe
threat.(SeealsoGeneralAdaptationSyndrome.)

Contents
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Definitions
Physiologicalreactionstothreat(orperceivedthreat)
Durationofthreatanditsdifferentphysiologicaleffectsonthenervoussystem.
Seealso

Definitions
stress:Asitpertainstothetermdefensephysiology,thetermstressreferstoaperceivedthreattothecontinued
functioningofthebody/lifeaccordingtoitscurrentstate.
threat:Whatconstitutesathreatasitpertainstodefensephysiology?Athreatmaybeconsciouslyrecognizedor
not.Aphysicalevent(aloudnoiseorcarcollision),achemicalorabiologicalagentwhichalters(orhasthe
possibilitytoalter)bodyfunction(physiology)awayfromoptimumorhealthyfunctioning(orawayfromits
currentstateoffunctioning)maybeperceivedasathreat(alsocalledastressor).
Lifecircumstances,thoughposingnoimmediatephysicaldanger,couldbeperceivedasathreat.Anythingthat
couldchangethecontinuingofthepersonslifeastheyarecurrentlyexperiencingitcouldbeperceivedasathreat.

Physiologicalreactionstothreat(orperceivedthreat)
Athreatmaybeeitherempirical(anoutsideobservermayagreethattheeventorcircumstanceposesathreat)ora
priori(anoutsideobserverwouldnotagreethattheeventorcircumstanceposesathreat).Whatisimportanttothe
individual,intermsofthebodysresponse,isthatathreatisperceived.
Theperceptionofathreatmayalsotriggeranassociatedfeelingofdistress.Physiologicalreactionstriggeredby
mindcannotdifferentiateboththephysicalormentalthreatseparately,Hencethe"fightorflight"responseof
mindforthebothreactionswillbesame.

Durationofthreatanditsdifferentphysiologicaleffectsonthenervous
system.
AcuteStressReactionThebodyexecutestheFightorflightreactiontogetthebodyoutofdangerquickly.
Whenthetimingbetweenthethreatandtheresolutionofthethreatareclose,thefightorflight"reactionis
executed,thethreatishandled,andthebodyreturnstoitspreviousstate(takingcareofthebusinessoflife
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DefensephysiologyWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

digestion,relaxation,tissuerepairetc.).Thebodyhasevolvedtostayinthismodeforonlyashorttime.
ChronicStressStateWhenthetimingbetweenthethreatandtheresolutionofthethreataremoredistant(the
threatortheperceptionofthreatisprolongedorotherthreatsoccurbeforethebodyhasrecovered),thefightor
flight"reactioncontinuesandbecomesthenewstandardoperatingconditionofthebody,chronicDefense
Physiology.Continuinginthismodeproducessignificantnegativeeffects(distress)inmanyaspectsofbody
functioning(physical,mentalandemotionaldistress).

Seealso
Hypothalamicpituitaryadrenalaxis
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