The sympathetic nervous system responds to extreme or out of the ordinary conditions. I understand that the PNS is responsible for conservation of energy and restoration of various bodily functions. But, I don't understand how digestion of food or or how penile erection fall under either of these categories listed in the prior sentence. Can someone please explain?
PNS Question related to TBR Bio Ch.1 #11
- Thread starter ajumobim
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Think of it this way:
for Sympathetic: when you have to fight/flight for your life, do you think you'll use your energy for erectile function/digestion (slow process)?? or you'd use that energy for something more important like heart rate, blood pump..... Parasympathetic is the opposite of that.
Or you can think when you're having sex, is it easier to get a hard on when you're relaxing or feel rushed?
hahaha
for Sympathetic: when you have to fight/flight for your life, do you think you'll use your energy for erectile function/digestion (slow process)?? or you'd use that energy for something more important like heart rate, blood pump..... Parasympathetic is the opposite of that.
Or you can think when you're having sex, is it easier to get a hard on when you're relaxing or feel rushed?
hahahaThink of it this way:
for Sympathetic: when you have to fight/flight for your life, do you think you'll use your energy for erectile function/digestion (slow process)?? or you'd use that energy for something more important like heart rate, blood pump..... Parasympathetic is the opposite of that.
Or you can think when you're having sex, is it easier to get a hard on when you're relaxing or feel rushed?
Bahahahaha thanks for the comedic relief!
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It's a common misconception to think of the sympathetic system as having the same effect on all blood vessels once activated.
As @Labrat07 mentioned, the sympathetic system can dilate vessels to important (context-specific) organs or parts of the body, such as skeletal muscle, and constrict or not dilate certain other vessels, thus diverting blood away, from less important organs or parts of the body, such as the penis or the digestive system.
Evolution has proven that having the blood supplied to your muscles to outrun whatever beast is chasing you (as the cliche goes) trumps properly digesting your food or having an erection in that moment.
As @Labrat07 mentioned, the sympathetic system can dilate vessels to important (context-specific) organs or parts of the body, such as skeletal muscle, and constrict or not dilate certain other vessels, thus diverting blood away, from less important organs or parts of the body, such as the penis or the digestive system.
Evolution has proven that having the blood supplied to your muscles to outrun whatever beast is chasing you (as the cliche goes) trumps properly digesting your food or having an erection in that moment.
