AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The parasympathetic part of your autonomic nervous system balances your sympathetic nervous system. While your sympathetic nervous system controls your body’s “fight or flight” response, your parasympathetic nervous system helps to control your body’s response during times of rest.

Detailed explanation-2: -When the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is activated, it slows our heart and breathing rates, lowers blood pressure and promotes digestion.

Detailed explanation-3: -The parasympathetic nervous system, also known as “rest and digest, ” can be thought of as functioning in opposition to the sympathetic nervous system. Its functions include: A decrease in heart rate and contractility of cardiac muscle. Constriction of the ciliary muscle and the pupil for near vision.

Detailed explanation-4: -Parasympathetic nervous system consists of the cranial and the sacral components (Purkayastha et al., 2013). The cell bodies of parasympathetic preganglionic fibers are located in the ganglia associated with oculomotor, facial, glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves and in the spinal cord segments S2–S4.

Detailed explanation-5: -Examples of parasympathetic responses Salivation: As part of its rest-and-digest function, the PSNS stimulates production of saliva, which contains enzymes to help your food digest. Lacrimation: Lacrimation is a fancy word for making tears.