Ch.13 and 14 PNS,ANS

Overview of the Parasympathetic Division

Role: Known as the "peaceful division" of the autonomic nervous system, the parasympathetic division is crucial in maintaining homeostasis and promoting a state conducive to recovery and energy conservation.

Energy Conservation:

• The primary purpose of this division is to conserve body energy, allowing for restorative processes that optimize body functions.

• It is activated during calm, restful periods and plays a vital role in functions that occur when the body is not under stress.

Comfort:

• Comfort refers to a state where the body minimizes energy expenditure, ensuring that resources can be conserved and used for essential bodily functions.

• Example: The position you sit in when you're comfortable is one that reduces strain on muscles and joints, leading to lower energy use. This could be sitting back in a chair with good posture versus being hunched over a desk.

Physiological Effects:

• Bowel Movements: The frequency and effectiveness of bowel movements are significantly influenced by the functions of the parasympathetic division.

  • Activation of this division facilitates digestion and motility within the gastrointestinal tract, which is essential for nutrient absorption and waste elimination.

  • Bowel movements are often enhanced during states of comfort and relaxation that the parasympathetic activity provides.

• Heart Rate and Blood Pressure: This division contributes to lowering heart rate and reducing blood pressure, promoting cardiovascular health and relaxation.

• Respiratory Function: It encourages deeper, slower breaths, fostering an overall state of calm and reducing anxiety.

Personal Experience:

• A mention of consuming Twizzlers that led to discomfort underlines how diet directly impacts comfort and body function. This highlights how certain foods can trigger reactions that activate the sympathetic response instead of the parasympathetic.

• The complexity of the body’s response to stress and fears can also influence overall health and comfort, indicating that mental state, alongside physical health, plays an essential role in how the parasympathetic division can effectively function and maintain rest and recovery.