explain
pain
section
4
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86
The endocrine response
The good and bad of cortisol
A
long with the sympathetic and immune systems,
the endocrine system is the other key player in the
stress response. It works with the sympathetic
system but its effectsmay last weeks ormonths
rather thanminutes or hours. The sympathetic
nervous system is like amatch – easy to light and
goes out fast, whereas the endocrine response is
more like a fire – harder to get going but lasts longer.
The key bits of anatomy are the stress control areas
of the brain (pituitary and the hypothalamus) and
the adrenal glands, which perch atop your kidneys.
Youwill be able to see them in the figure.
Threatening inputs, memories and circumstances
make the hypothalamus release hormones, which in
turnmake the pituitary gland release hormones
(adrenocorticotropic hormone or ACTH) into the
blood. Within a couple of minutes, ACTH is picked up
by chemical sensors (remember them?) in the outer
layer of the adrenal gland. This gland then produces
a number of hormones necessary formaintaining a
balance in life. A key hormone is called cortisol.
acth
cortisol
back to the brain
to all tissues
adrenal gland
kidney
pituitary gland
hypothalamus
