The Sympathetic Nervous System, Essay Example

The sympathetic nervous system is one of the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system that exists along with the parasympathetic system. The two systems work in opposite directions to each other in regard to the body reaction. The sympathetic nervous system triggers the flight-or-fight response, which makes the body generate enormous bouts of energy to respond to danger. The parasympathetic system functions are opposite of the sympathetic system, which acts as a brake system in the body. It also conserves energy to be used later to regulate body functions like digestion, urination, metabolism, gaseous exchange, among others.

Chemical messengers are used in both the nervous and endocrine systems such that both of them interact with the receptors in order to have an effect. The two systems are alike as they incorporate chemical messengers to signal cell. Nonetheless, they each have a distinct transmission speed which differentiates them. The nervous system response is more rapid since nerve impulses travel faster than blood-borne impulses. However, in response to effect time, the endocrine system takes longer for hormones to synthesize and be transported to the target signal cells.

From the information obtained from the book, we learn about how the body responds to stimuli and that it results from an internal stimulus that the external action is felt. In addition, we have as well learned the difference between the nervous and endocrine systems in the body, and lastly, we have learned about how synapses are transmitted in the body from the receptors to the signal cells. These are important lessons in understanding body functions.