Activity 3
Answer the following questions in the discussion forum:
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.
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PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM “The rest and digest” (Division of the nervous system involved) |
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Organs involved |
Major nerve supply |
Effect of the nervous system on the function |
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Eyes |
Oculomotor nerve |
Constricts pupil |
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Mouth |
Facial nerve/ Glossopharyngeal nerve |
Stimulates salivation |
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Lungs |
Pulmonary plexus |
Constricts bronchi |
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Heart |
Cardiac plexus |
Decreases heart rate |
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Stomach |
Vagus nerve |
Stimulates digestions |
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Kidney |
Vagus nerve |
Inhibits adrenaline production |
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Urinary Bladder |
Vagus nerve |
Contracts bladder |
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Rectum |
Pelvic splanchnic nerves |
Relaxes rectum |
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?
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These effects are stimulated by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. The role of the sympathetic nervous system is well known in responding to dangerous or stressful situations. In these situations, the sympathetic nervous system activates to increase the heart rate, deliver more blood to areas of the body that require more oxygen, or perform other actions to assist us in attempting to escape danger.
REFERENCES
Nall, R. (2020, April 23). The parasympathetic nervous system explained. Healthline. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/parasympathetic-nervous-system#in-the-heart
Sympathetic nervous system (SNS): What it is & function. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23262-sympathetic-nervous-system-sns-fight-or-flight