Which division arouses the body, mobilizing energy in stressful situations?

Which division arouses the body, mobilizing energy in stressful situations?

• A. Parasympathetic nervous system
• B. Sympathetic nervous system
• C. Central nervous system
• D. Enteric nervous system

Answer: (B)

The body’s readiness to act in a stressful situation is driven by the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. In fight-or-flight moments this system kicks in to mobilize energy and resources: heart rate and the force of heart contractions rise to pump more blood to muscles, airways dilate to increase oxygen intake, pupils expand, and blood flow is redirected toward skeletal muscles while the liver releases glucose for quick energy. It’s amplified by hormones like adrenaline from the adrenal medulla, which speeds up many of these effects. If you think about what happens when you’re stressed, the parasympathetic division would do the opposite—promoting rest, digestion, and energy storage rather than rapid mobilization—so it isn’t the one responsible for arousing the body. The central nervous system refers to the brain and spinal cord that process information, not a division that directly triggers this energy-mobilizing response; the enteric nervous system governs gut activity. So the sympathetic nervous system is the one that arouses the body and mobilizes energy in stressful situations.

The body’s readiness to act in a stressful situation is driven by the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. In fight-or-flight moments this system kicks in to mobilize energy and resources: heart rate and the force of heart contractions rise to pump more blood to muscles, airways dilate to increase oxygen intake, pupils expand, and blood flow is redirected toward skeletal muscles while the liver releases glucose for quick energy. It’s amplified by hormones like adrenaline from the adrenal medulla, which speeds up many of these effects.

If you think about what happens when you’re stressed, the parasympathetic division would do the opposite—promoting rest, digestion, and energy storage rather than rapid mobilization—so it isn’t the one responsible for arousing the body. The central nervous system refers to the brain and spinal cord that process information, not a division that directly triggers this energy-mobilizing response; the enteric nervous system governs gut activity. So the sympathetic nervous system is the one that arouses the body and mobilizes energy in stressful situations.