Describe the GAS model and illustrate the relevance of this model with the help of an example.
Hans Selye studied what happens to the body when stress is prolonged. He conducted this by subjecting animals to a variety of stressors such as high temperature, X-rays, and insulin injections in the laboratory over a long period of time. He also observed patients with various injuries and illnesses in hospitals.
During these observations, Selye noticed a similar pattern of bodily response in all of them. He called this pattern the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).
According to him, GAS involves three stages: alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion.
The relevance of this model can be illustrated with the help of an example from Selye's own studies. When animals were subjected to prolonged stressors like high temperature or X-rays, or when hospital patients dealt with various injuries and illnesses, they all exhibited this three-stage bodily response pattern. This demonstrates that regardless of the specific stressor, the body's adaptation mechanism follows the same predictable sequence of alarm, resistance, and eventual exhaustion.
Explanation
The answer accurately describes the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) model as proposed by Selye, detailing the three stages: alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion. It uses the examples provided in the text (animals subjected to high temperature, X-rays, and insulin injections, as well as hospital patients with injuries and illnesses) to illustrate the relevance of the model, adhering strictly to the provided context.