Biopsychology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biopsychology - Assignment Example Another reason for sleep is that it serves as physiological maintenence. During sleep, muscles and other damaged cellular components use the time to repair and regenerate. Another important feature of sleep physiology is the notion of an internal clock, or our natural circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are observed in almost all living things. This internal clock serves as regulating when to be active and using energy compared when the organism should be resting to conserve energy. The cycle occurs once per day. In particular, the effect can be seen with the impact of the changing between daylight and nighttime. This can be seen by the effects of sleep and light on the secretion of certain neurochemicals and hormones such as melatonin. Sleep occurs in distinct phases, which is characterized by a change in brain wave activity as well as some physiological changes. There are 2 main phases of sleep: non- rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement. Stage 1 is characterized as the light sleep that is predominated by theta waves that lasts between 5-10 minutes. The second stage lasts around 20 minutes and sleep spindles begin to form, which are rapid bursts in brain activity. The third stage is characterized by delta waves and is in between light and heavy sleep. Stage four is deep sleep, which is again characterized by an increase in delta waves. Stage 5 is the deepest stage of sleep and this is where REM occurs. REM stands for rapid eye movement. The most vivid dreaming occurs during this stage of sleep because it is the deepest stage of sleep. REM usually occurs between 4 and 5 times throughout the entire night. The mind is extremely active during this period with levels of neurological activity being similar to that of being awake. Theories show that REM is important in not only maintaining neurological activity, but also for memory processing. Sleep disorders can be caused by a majority of cases and there are a variety of them. Sleep apnea is a disorder in whic h a person physically stops breathing during sleep. Insomnia is where a person cannot fall asleep easily, therefore feels the effects of sleep deprivation. Too little and too much sleep can result in some diseases and conditions. These can range from diabetes to certain types of cancers. Stress One of the most important topics in health psychology, stress is a multidisciplinary topic that goes into not only the cognitive effects of stress, but also the physiological effects of stress. Principally there are two main chemicals, which are mediated in stress responses. Cortisol and norepinephrine release are triggered when a person is experiencing a stressful situation. These chemicals function as a stimulus, which heightens physiological response to handle the incoming threat or danger. Stress has been linked to a multitude of physiological problems. Prolonged stress can lead to sleep deprivation and insomnia, which leads to a host of its own physiological problems. Increases in blood pressure and pulse can lead to heart disease and cancers. Stress can also affect the endocrine system because too much stress leads to over activity in this system, which can lead to certain types of cancers as well as certain types of diabetes. Increased stress can also lead to compromising the immune system, which can make a person more susceptible to developing infection and illnesses. It has also been shown that stress has a physiological

Why Do We Need To Eat Healthy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why Do We Need To Eat Healthy - Essay Example Healthy eating does not in any way mean any sort of diet; it actually refers to the proper intake of healthy foods like meat, vegetables, fruits, and nuts, whole grains etc in balanced proportions. All these will provide us with the required amount of carbohydrates, fats and vitamins and minerals and never induce any health problem when taken moderately. Firstly, there is a need to eat healthy to avoid serious diseases. Regardless of the age, healthy eating habits have a crucial impact on our health. Long standing studies have established a definite link between diet and cardiovascular diseases. Cases of coronary heart disease are on the rise and the cardiovascular morbidity figures are staggering. Studies have made it clear the high amount of fat intake, particularly LDL or low density lipoprotein and triglycerides, increases the chances of developing coronary diseases like atherosclerosis. On the other hand a diet that provides you with a good amount of HDL can help decrease the ch olesterol levels in the body. High fiber grains can help lower chances of heart disease and type 2 diabetes ( F.B Hu and Willet, 2002).Decrease in cholesterol levels itself has a lot of good impact on the body- chances of CVD (cardio vascular diseases) are lowered, blood sugar and hyper tension problems are also controlled. Dietary fat also increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer like breast cancer, esophageal, stomach and prostate cancer and has been supported by animal studies too. Most forms of cancers, have been linked to obesity and lack of proper nutrition and according to the National Cancer Institute, most of these cancer forms are preventable. Immunity is one of the basic tools for survival. Humans are immune to many pathogens simply because of the presence of white blood cells like NK cells in the body, which engulf the antigen and protect the body from harm. In case human did not have this immunity barrier, they would become vulnerable to all diseases and may even die owing to even small and minor infections. The key to a strong immune system is an intake of healthy diet. Colas, pizzas, burgers do not increase immunity in anyway. But intake of healthy foods like vegetables and fruits provides beta-carotene which in turn strengthens the body. In recent studies cancer experts have also found out that healthy eating and strong immunity also prevent development of certain cancers. There are a number of diseases that are caused due to nutritional deficiencies. Nutritional deficiencies occur when proper balanced food is not ingested. Beriberi, pellagra, scurvy, rickets, Ariboflavinosis, Skin diseases, Hypocobalaminemia, Paraesthesia and night blindness are some of the diseases related to vitamin deficiency. Painful chronic Gouty arthritis is another dreadful disease caused by bad eating habits. Deficiency of essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium etc leads to diseases. If proper healthy habits are not developed a person will from health problems Scientific studies have shown that our mental health also depends on dietary factors. Minor depression, major depression, psychotic depression, traumatic disorders, stress disorders, compulsive behaviors, and anxiety are some of the mental problems that haunt a person. Though most of these diseases depend on genetic, biological and psychological factors but studies have determined that foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids ,release serotonins in the brain which in turn elevates mood.