1. You have been to an ‘eat all you can’ buffet and have consumed large amounts of food. After returning home, you recline on the couch to watch television. Which division of the nervous system will be handling your body’s after-dinner activities? List several organs involved, the major nerve supply to each organ, and the effects of the nervous system on their functions.
Division of the nervous system that will handle body’s after dinner activities: Parasympathetic Division as it takes care of “rest-and-digest” activities.
|
Organs involved |
Major Nerve Supply |
Effects of nervous system on functions |
|
Lungs |
vagus nerve (X) |
controls pulmonary function and regulates respiration |
|
Heart |
vagus nerve (X) |
regulates beat-to-beat control of heart rate |
|
Bladder |
vagus nerve (X) |
controls contractions and passage of urines |
|
Stomach |
vagus nerve (X) |
controls motility, ion transport, and gastrointestinal blood flow |
|
Small intestine |
vagus nerve (X) |
stimulates digestion and secretion |
|
Liver |
vagus nerve (X) |
Regulates homeostasis |
|
Rectum |
Pelvic nerve |
Helps with defecation through the extrinsic nervous plexus’ rectoanal inhibitory reflex |
2. Your friend is driving home from work, listening to her favorite music, when suddenly a bicycle came out of nowhere. She manages to swerve avoiding hitting the bicycle. She continued to drive home but she noticed that her heart is beating fast, she had goose bumps, and her heads were sweaty. How would you explain these effects?
Due to the incident experienced by my friend, she most likely got scared. Our heart rate increases when activity in the sympathetic nervous system goes up. The sympathetic nervous system accounts for the involuntary responses of the body to a perceived threat. Additionally, this is also responsible for the involuntary reaction concerning goosebumps. Goosebumps result from our body’s fight or flight reflex, which is also managed by the sympathetic nervous system as a response to emergency actions. Lastly, sweaty hands are also caused by the hormones released by the sympathetic nervous system when we experience emergency situations.
References:
Nall, R. (2020, April 23). The Parasympathetic Nervous System Explained. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/parasympathetic-nervous-system
Medical University of South Carolina. (n.d.). Digestive Organs. Muschealth.org. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://muschealth.org/medical-services/ddc/patients/digestive-organs#:~:text=are%2C%20in%20order%3A-
ScienceDirect. (2017). Heart Rate - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Sciencedirect.com. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/heart-rate
Thorpe, J. (2020, August 6). Why Do I Get Goosebumps? It’s A Brain Reaction, A Neuroscientist Says. Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/wellness/why-do-i-get-goosebumps-brain-reaction-neuroscientist
Tortora, G. & Derrickson, B.(2012). Principles of anatomy and physiology. John Wiley & Sons