Question

what is one location/structure where the sympathetic and the parasympathetic divisions interact and what is happening at that location for each?

Answer 1

The autonomic nervous system plays an essential role in keeping the body's internal environment in proper balance, a condition called homeostasis. The autonomic nervous system also plays a major part in emotional experience and expression. When you are emotionally excited, the body shows many changes: blood pressure and heart beat increase, mouth is often dry, stomach has "butterflies" in it. These and other body actions are controlled by the autonomic nervous system.

　

These two divisions have opposing effects on the internal organs they act on.

The sympathetic division, shown at the left, is the emergency system. It prepares the body to put out energy and to protect it from effects of injury. It shuts the gut down, speeds up the heart, increases blood pressure, makes bigger the pupils of the eyes, makes more glucose available in the blood for energy.

The parasympathetic division, shown at the right, is the "housekeeping" division. It acts to replace and recover from the activities of living. Its action is the opposite of the sympathetic division. It activates the gut for digestion, slows the heart rate, decreases the blood pressure.