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What role does the Endocrine System play in protecting the body from disease when stressed?
and
Explain how the immune, nervous and endocrine systems interact to protect the body from disease when stressed.
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It's unlikely that you'll need to know these concepts in significant detail for the exam.
However, 1) the endocrine system releases hormones which assist the body in dealing with the initial impact of a stressor by causing a number of physiological changes which enable the body to either confront or flee a stressor (fight or flight).
"Explain how the immune, nervous and endocrine systems interact to protect the body from disease when stressed."
When an individual encounters a stressor, the sympathetic division of their autonomic nervous system is activated. The sympathetic nervous system then activates the Adrenal Glands in the endocrine system, which releases the hormones Adrenaline and Noradrenaline. This causes a number of physiological changes including an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, muscle tension, and results in a diversion in blood flow to the brain and muscles. A number of other stress hormones are released, including cortisol which assists the body to obtain fats and carbohydrates (energy) to fuel the fight-or-flight response. Initially, the activity of the immune system is increased in order to prepare itself to fight off infections caused by bites, injuries etc. All these complex, interrelated processes help the body to deal with a stressor.