Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers
August 6, 2009
Abstract
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky, gives a description of the inner workings of the human, and animal, stress response. He talks about what physiologically happens to people when they remain in a state of stress of a long period of time. The immune response, depression, aging and death, and sexual reproduction are just some of the topics Sapolsky discusses and how stress affects each of these.
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers
I chose Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers (1994) because I was intrigued by the similarities between humans and animals in regards to their responses to acute and chronic stress. As a medical professional, I feel that I have a strong background in human physiology and therefore could relate to this book. It did not disappoint. This book is written by Robert M. Sapolsky, a professor of biological sciences, as well as neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University. As a neuroendocrinologist, he has done extensive research in the area of hormonal response to stress and their effects on the body. As a research associate for the National Museums of Kenya, he spends time studying baboons in their natural habitat and the stressors that they endure along with stress related illnesses that their environment may bring about. In Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Sapolsky examines the adverse effects of long-term stress and the associated physical and mental damage it can cause. During the first five chapters, Sapolsky goes into great detail, engrained with humor, about the physiological changes that happen in our bodies during periods of stress. He explains the principles of the “fight or flight” response brought on by the body’s sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for preparing our bodies for exertion through the release of glucocorticoids. These hormones raise our heart rate in order to increase the flow of oxygenated blood to the working
August 6, 2009
Abstract
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky, gives a description of the inner workings of the human, and animal, stress response. He talks about what physiologically happens to people when they remain in a state of stress of a long period of time. The immune response, depression, aging and death, and sexual reproduction are just some of the topics Sapolsky discusses and how stress affects each of these.
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers
I chose Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers (1994) because I was intrigued by the similarities between humans and animals in regards to their responses to acute and chronic stress. As a medical professional, I feel that I have a strong background in human physiology and therefore could relate to this book. It did not disappoint. This book is written by Robert M. Sapolsky, a professor of biological sciences, as well as neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University. As a neuroendocrinologist, he has done extensive research in the area of hormonal response to stress and their effects on the body. As a research associate for the National Museums of Kenya, he spends time studying baboons in their natural habitat and the stressors that they endure along with stress related illnesses that their environment may bring about. In Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Sapolsky examines the adverse effects of long-term stress and the associated physical and mental damage it can cause. During the first five chapters, Sapolsky goes into great detail, engrained with humor, about the physiological changes that happen in our bodies during periods of stress. He explains the principles of the “fight or flight” response brought on by the body’s sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for preparing our bodies for exertion through the release of glucocorticoids. These hormones raise our heart rate in order to increase the flow of oxygenated blood to the working
References: Sapolsky, R. (1994). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. New York, New York. W.H. Freeman and Company