Which nervous system returns the body to resting levels after adjustments to stress?

Which nervous system returns the body to resting levels after adjustments to stress?

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

Answer: (A)

When the body has been stressed, the fight-or-flight response ramps up via the sympathetic division. Returning to resting levels is handled by the parasympathetic division, which promotes rest-and-digest activities. It slows the heart rate and respiration, lowers blood pressure, increases digestion, and conserves energy, pulling the system back toward baseline after the stress response. The central nervous system coordinates responses but doesn’t directly restore the resting state; it’s the parasympathetic branch that actively counteracts the sympathetic arousal. The somatic nervous system controls voluntary movements, not autonomic relaxation, so it doesn’t regulate the return to resting levels after stress.

When the body has been stressed, the fight-or-flight response ramps up via the sympathetic division. Returning to resting levels is handled by the parasympathetic division, which promotes rest-and-digest activities. It slows the heart rate and respiration, lowers blood pressure, increases digestion, and conserves energy, pulling the system back toward baseline after the stress response. The central nervous system coordinates responses but doesn’t directly restore the resting state; it’s the parasympathetic branch that actively counteracts the sympathetic arousal. The somatic nervous system controls voluntary movements, not autonomic relaxation, so it doesn’t regulate the return to resting levels after stress.