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 division of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for rest-and-digest mode of the human body. Organs in the digestive tract are involved in this activity from esophagus to rectum. Organs from esophagus to the transverse colon are supplied by the vagus nerve, while the pelvic splanchnic nerves supply the descending colon, sigmoid colon and 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?
Increasing heart rate, goosebumps, and production of sweat are responses of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The SNS is known for the flight-or-fight response which activates in response to stressful or dangerous situations. Since my friend was put in a state of danger, the SNS allowed her body to respond unconsciously.