Which two branches comprise the autonomic nervous system?

Which two branches comprise the autonomic nervous system?

• A. Parasympathetic and Sympathetic
• B. Central and Peripheral
• C. Somatic and Autonomic
• D. Enteric and Central

Answer: (A)

The autonomic nervous system is split into two branches that regulate involuntary body functions and often work in opposition to keep the body in balance. The parasympathetic branch promotes rest-and-digest activities, slowing the heart rate, boosting digestion, and conserving energy. The sympathetic branch prepares the body for action, raising heart rate, widening airways, and prioritizing blood flow to muscles. These two branches innervate many organs and typically exert opposing effects, allowing precise control over processes like heart rate, digestion, and pupil size. Other options describe broader or different parts of the nervous system. Central and peripheral refer to where nerves are located in the body rather than to branches of the autonomic system. Somatic and autonomic describe the major divisions of the peripheral nervous system between voluntary control (somatic) and involuntary control (autonomic). Enteric is a network focused on the gut and is sometimes considered part of the autonomic system, but central is not a branch of the autonomic system. The two branches that make up the autonomic nervous system are parasympathetic and sympathetic.

The autonomic nervous system is split into two branches that regulate involuntary body functions and often work in opposition to keep the body in balance. The parasympathetic branch promotes rest-and-digest activities, slowing the heart rate, boosting digestion, and conserving energy. The sympathetic branch prepares the body for action, raising heart rate, widening airways, and prioritizing blood flow to muscles. These two branches innervate many organs and typically exert opposing effects, allowing precise control over processes like heart rate, digestion, and pupil size.

Other options describe broader or different parts of the nervous system. Central and peripheral refer to where nerves are located in the body rather than to branches of the autonomic system. Somatic and autonomic describe the major divisions of the peripheral nervous system between voluntary control (somatic) and involuntary control (autonomic). Enteric is a network focused on the gut and is sometimes considered part of the autonomic system, but central is not a branch of the autonomic system. The two branches that make up the autonomic nervous system are parasympathetic and sympathetic.