Chapter 14 Mind, Body, and Immunity

Overview

What do we mean by health, and how do we achieve it? What makes one person healthy and someone else chronically ill? Certainly, there are many answers to these questions, and we have touched on some of them in previous chapters. A person’s genetic heritage plays a role in some diseases (Chapter 3), as does their diet (Chapter 8). How and where a person lives is important because they influence the person’s exposure to infectious microorganisms (Chapter 16) and to hazardous chemicals (Chapter 19). Our immune system helps to remove damaged tissue and repair the body, preventing some diseases before we know we have been exposed and bringing us back to health after we have been sick. Genetics, nutrition, and exposure to chemicals and microorganisms all affect the functioning of the immune system. It is often the case, however, that some people in a particular area will get sick, while other people in the same area with about the same exposure, diet, and genetic back­ground do not. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a prime example of this phenomenon. In the previous chapter we saw that many so-called mental illnesses have mechanisms based in brain biochemistry. In this chapter we will examine the theory that a person’s mental and emotional states are factors in physical health or disease, and that the mind exerts its effect on the body because it interacts with the immune system.

Chapter Outline

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Review Questions

THE PURPOSE of these review quizzes is to guide students in where their knowledge and understanding is strong, where it is weak, and where time should best be spent in studying.

CHAPTER 14:

  1. What is the difference between innate immunity and specific immunity?  What are some of the components and mechanisms of innate immunity?   (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 14.2.)
  2. What cells and molecules are involved in specific immunity?  How do they protect the body?  How do they tell the difference between threatening and non-threatening molecules?  How does the body learn this distinction?  What happens when there are malfunctions in the ability to make this distinction?  What is passive immunity, and what are some ways in which it can be acquired?  (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 14.2.)
  3. What is the ‘fight or flight’ response?  What specific neurons and other cells are involved?  What neurotransmitters and hormones?  What is the ‘rest and ruminate’ response?  What molecules and cells are involved?  What are the stages of the alarm response?  How can any of these responses be consciously controlled?  (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 14.3.)
  4. How do we know that the mind and body interact?  What evidence do we have that a person’s mental state can affect their health, either for better or for worse?  What is the placebo effect?  What are the effects of stress on body function and on health?  What are some ways that we can control stress? (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 14.4.)

Open Response Study Questions

These questions are designed to assess your understanding of the topics explored in this chapter. You can use these questions in three ways:

Before you start …

Read through the questions before you read the chapter to help prime you to read the text more carefully and strategically. Remember that you are just starting out on your learning journey, so don’t feel disheartened if you don’t know how to answer them yet!

Whilst you read …

As you work through the chapter, have another go at answering the questions to see how you are progressing. You can also answer the questions with the textbook open in front of you, in order to create model answers that can be used to refer back to later.

At the end …

Answer the questions once you have finished reading to see what you have learned. Check your responses against your model answers and use these to identify any gaps in your understanding.

DEFINITIONS:

In your own words, define ANY TWO of the following terms:

Antibody         Innate immunity         “fight or flight”           placebo effect              

ESSAYS:

Answer any two of the following questions.  Make sure to answer all parts of any question you choose.

1. (A) What are the signs of an inflammation response? What does each one do? (B) What is innate immunity, and how does it work?

2. Explain the three phases of the stress response and the several characteristic processes of each.

3. Distinguish in as many ways as you can between the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system.  Diagrams are not necessary.

4. Explain (with evidence for each claim) several ways in which your attitude can affect your health.

5. What are the several mechanisms by which specific immunity protects the body?  Give details.

PowerPoint Slides

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Bibliography

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Chapter 15
HIV and AIDS