Topic 9 - What's Good for the Planet is Good for Us

sources of stress, can be environmental, physical, psychological, internal and external

evolve in response to environmental pressures

External stressors that are part of our surroundings

a division of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates respiration, cardiovascular functions, and other life-support mechanisms

a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival

a network of glands that release hormones

chemical messengers such as adrenaline that travel through the bloodstream and affect tissues and organs in various parts of the body

the release of cortisol increases glucose (sugar) levels in the bloodstream, providing energy to fight or flee.

a hormone that promotes sleep onset

any external or environmental cue that synchronizes an organism’s biological rhythms

a neurochemical that gives us a “high” feeling

insulin resistance

how well the food will nourish you

a mental state in which an organism forced to bear aversive stimuli, or stimuli that are painful or otherwise unpleasant, becomes unable or unwilling to avoid subsequent encounters with those stimuli, even if they are “escapable,” presumably because it has learned that it cannot control the situation

can remain in the environment for long periods of time (years or decades) without breaking down or losing their potency

become concentrated in the fatty tissues of living things

poisonous and poses a potential risk to health