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Rest and Digest - Sometimes you'd rather go slow |
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Fight or flight, the sympathatic nervous system, gets all the attention, but it's twin sister "Rest and Digest" or the para-sympathetic nervous system is important as well. These are the two divsions of the Autonomic Nervous system, or the stuff that just without conscious control.
Why do they have these weird names?
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Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): The term "sympathetic" comes from the Greek word "sympathes," which means "having a fellow feeling" or "affected by the same disease." In the context of the nervous system, it refers to the idea that this system broadly activates various organs and tissues throughout the body to respond in a coordinated manner during stress.
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Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): The prefix "para-" means "beside" or "alongside." This indicates that the parasympathetic system works alongside the sympathetic nervous system but often in opposition to it. While the sympathetic system prepares the body for action, the parasympathetic system helps calm it down and maintain homeostasis.