Stress in Your Body Systems Template

• Comprised of heart and blood vessels
• Provides nourishment and oxygen to body
• Coordinated with stress response

Acute stress (momentary): increase in heart rate, stronger heart muscle contractions, dilation of heart and blod vessels to increase blood production- body returns to normal after end of acute stress Chronic stress: ongoing increased heart rate, elevated stress hormones and blood pressure-increases risk for hypertension, heart attack, and stroke - contributes to inflammation in circulatory system (coronary arteries, tied to heart attacks) and affects cholestrol levels - for females, estrogen help blood vessels respond to stress, but postemnopausal females lose estrogen and therefore at greater risk for heart disease

Cardiovascular system

Male Reproductive System

Influenced by nervous system- Parasympathetic causes relaxation- Sympathetic causes arousal- Automatic nervous system produces testoseroneThe effects of stress:- Excess cortisol affects biochemical functioning- Chronic stress affects testosterone, resulting in- decline of sex drive- erectile dysfunction/impotence- sperm production and maturation (lower sperm motility [ability to swim] and sperm with normal morphology [size and shape]- Vulnerability to infection