Which division slows heart rate and promotes digestion?

Which division slows heart rate and promotes digestion?

• A. Sympathetic
• B. Parasympathetic
• C. Central
• D. Somatic

Answer: (B)

Think about how the body behaves at rest versus under stress. The autonomic nervous system has two divisions with opposite effects. The parasympathetic division is the rest-and-digest system: it slows the heart rate and promotes digestion, helping the body conserve energy and focus on maintenance processes. In contrast, the sympathetic division gears the body up for action by increasing heart rate and reducing digestion. The central (brain and spinal cord) and somatic (voluntary movement) systems aren’t the parts that directly drive these visceral states. So the division that slows the heart rate and promotes digestion is the parasympathetic.

Think about how the body behaves at rest versus under stress. The autonomic nervous system has two divisions with opposite effects. The parasympathetic division is the rest-and-digest system: it slows the heart rate and promotes digestion, helping the body conserve energy and focus on maintenance processes. In contrast, the sympathetic division gears the body up for action by increasing heart rate and reducing digestion. The central (brain and spinal cord) and somatic (voluntary movement) systems aren’t the parts that directly drive these visceral states. So the division that slows the heart rate and promotes digestion is the parasympathetic.