Question

autonomic nervous system (ans)
brain
central nervous system (cns)
parasympathetic nervous system
peripheral nervous system (pns)
somatic nervous system
spinal cord
sympathetic nervous system

multiple-choice questions

1. bretts friends convinced him to try skydiving. he is very nervous but decides to try it anyway. how will his autonomic nervous system respond, first, when he jumps out of the plane, and second, when he safely lands on the ground?

(a) his sympathetic nervous system would first activate the fight - flight - or - freeze response, while his parasympathetic nervous system would return his body to a state of calm.
(b) both systems would activate simultaneously to produce a moderate physiological response to stress.
(c) his parasympathetic nervous system would increase physiological arousal to match that of the sympathetic nervous system during stress.
(d) his sympathetic nervous system would decrease heart rate and breathing to conserve energy in response to stress, and then his parasympathetic system would compensate by increasing his heart rate and breathing.

1. jenessa is trying to hold perfectly still because she is playing a game of \statue\ with her nieces. she has a terrible itch on her nose and finally lifts her arm to scratch it. which part of the nervous system aids in her ability to lift her arm to scratch her nose?

(a) central
(b) parasympathetic
(c) somatic
(d) sympathetic

Explanation:

Question 1

• The sympathetic nervous system (part of the autonomic nervous system) is responsible for the "fight - flight - or - freeze" response during stress (like skydiving out of a plane). After the stressor (landing safely) is removed, the parasympathetic nervous system helps the body return to a calm state.
• Option B is wrong because the sympathetic and parasympathetic don't activate simultaneously for a moderate stress response; they have opposing roles.
• Option C is wrong as the parasympathetic nervous system is for calming, not increasing arousal.
• Option D is wrong because the sympathetic nervous system increases heart rate and breathing during stress, and the parasympathetic decreases them to calm the body.

• The somatic nervous system is responsible for voluntary movements. Lifting the arm to scratch the nose is a voluntary action.
• The central nervous system is the brain and spinal cord, but it's the somatic nervous system (a part of the peripheral nervous system) that controls voluntary muscle movements.
• The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems are part of the autonomic nervous system and control involuntary functions.

Answer:

A. His sympathetic nervous system would first activate the fight - flight - or - freeze response, while his parasympathetic nervous system would return his body to a state of calm.

Question 2