5. The Fight or Flight Response

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About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about the role of the nervous system and the endocrine system in helping our body respond to a threat, focusing in particular on: (i) the physiological changes that take place when the autonomic nervous system (ANS) changes from its resting (parasympathetic) state to an aroused (sympathetic) state as a consequence of being confronted with a stressor; (ii) how the ANS and the endocrine system work together in first recognising a potential threat and then bringing about a state of increased physiological alertness, commonly known as the ‘fight or flight’ response.

Course

In this course, Mr Kevin Silber (University of Derby) discusses the functions of the nervous system and the endocrine system. In the first lecture, we think about the role of neurons and the process of synaptic transmission. In the second lecture, we think about different types of neurotransmitters. In the third lecture, we think about the impact of recreational drugs on the brain. Next, we turn to the endocrine system and discuss how the different hormones produced by our endocrine glands are used to regulate bodily functions and processes. In the fifth and final lecture, we look at how the nervous system and the endocrine system work together to produce the ‘fight or flight’ response when our body is confronted with a threat.

Lecturer

Mr Kevin Silber is a senior lecturer at the University of Derby where he primarily teaches biological psychology modules. Mr Silber is also an AQA A-Level examiner and is involved in authoring texts for A-Level psychology. Having started life as a neuroscientist, Mr Silber’s research interests still lie in biologically oriented topics. However, his main research interest is now focused on body image. Some of Mr Silber’s recent publications include ‘Working memory in children: A developmental approach to the phonological coding of pictorial material’ (2011) and ‘Sexual orientation and the sleep-wake cycle: A preliminary investigation’ (2000).