Final answer:
The autonomic nervous system manages involuntary bodily functions to maintain homeostasis, with the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions balancing the body's internal environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a crucial component of the human body that manages involuntary physiological functions necessary for maintaining homeostasis. It regulates essential activities such as heart rate, digestive processes, and body temperature, ensuring they operate without our conscious awareness. The ANS is subdivided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which together control the balance within the body's internal environment.
Activation of the sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for 'fight or flight' responses during stressful situations, while the parasympathetic system supports 'rest and digest' functions during relaxed states. The ANS does so by utilizing sensory inputs from internal and external environments, processing this information, and orchestrating appropriate responses through motor outputs to cardiac and smooth muscles, as well as glandular tissues.