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.
The parasympathetic division of the nervous system is responsible for the body’s digestion.
Organ | Major Nerve Supply | Effects of the Nervous System |
mouth | trigeminal nerve | increased production of saliva |
esophagus | vagus nerve | peristalsis |
stomach | Increased utility and tone; relaxation of sphincters | |
pancreas | secretion of digestive enzymes and insulin | |
liver | glycogen synthesis; increased bile secretion | |
gallbladder | release of bile into small intestine | |
small intestine | Increased utility and tone; relaxation of sphincters | |
large intestine | Increased utility and tone; relaxation of sphincters |
Your friend is driving home from work, listening to her favorite music, when suddenly a bicycle comes out of nowhere. She manages to swerve avoiding hitting the bicycle. She continued to drive home but she noticed that her heart was beating fast, she had goosebumps, and her hands were sweaty. How would you explain these effects?
Being in a life-threatening situation caused the activation of sympathetic division of the nervous system, which is responsible for our fight or flight response. It increased the heart rate and its contractility, production of sweat, and caused piloerection.