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.
After-dinner activities will be handled by the Parasympathetic Nervous System. It causes a reduction in respiration and heart rate as well as an increase in digestion.
Organs concerned: heart, liver, lungs, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and gallbladder.
Major nerve supply: Vagus Nerve (X)
Effects:
Heart - controls heart rate regulation
Gall bladder - regulates contractions and urine passage
Liver - increased bile secretion and regulates homeostasis
Lungs - tightened bronchi; regulates respiration and modulates pulmonary function
Stomach and intestines - improved motility and gastric secretions to aid digestion
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?
The actions that she subconsciously exhibited are caused by the sympathetic nervous system's involuntary response after perceiving external stimuli as dangerous or life-threatening. These responses are caused by the production of adrenaline, a stress hormone. Adrenaline produces skin muscle contractions but also controls many other bodily processes. When a person is under stress, the entire sympathetic nervous system is engaged, resulting in an instantaneous broad response known as the fight-or-flight response.
References:
1, S. (2003, September 1). Why do humans get "goosebumps" when they are cold, or under other circumstances? Scientific American. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-humans-get-goosebumps
Nall, R. (2020, April 23). The Parasympathetic Nervous System Explained. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/parasympathetic-nervous-system
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