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.
The Parasympathetic Nervous System is the division of the nervous system, particularly the autonomic nervous system, that is responsible for the “rest and digest” response of the body. It regulates activities that conserve and restore body energy. The table below lists down the organs that are involved with the after-dinner activities of the body after eating in an “all you can eat” buffet and after coming home and reclining on the couch to watch television and rest from eating.
2. 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?
In consideration of the abovementioned details, it can be inferred that my friend has undergone a transition from a relaxed, parasympathetic body response to a tensed, fight-or-flight emergency situation automated by the sympathetic nervous system. The increased heart rate, goosebumps and sweaty hands are brought about by the natural response of the sympathetic nervous system in response to the external stimulus experienced by her. The stress from almost hitting the bicycle signaled the brain to be in distress. Moreover, the fight-and-flight response also heightens the body’s reflexive response in times of panic or emergencies like improved eyesight, endurance, muscle strength and power.