Final answer:
The sympathetic division is part of the autonomic nervous system active during 'fight or flight' responses, with preganglionic sympathetic fibers originating from the thoracolumbar spinal cord influencing widely distributed organs. Grabbing a coffee between exams or taking a water break in a stressful part of a marathon can invoke this response.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for the 'fight or flight' response in stressful situations. When activated, it causes widespread effects, such as increasing heart rate and breathing, redirecting blood flow to skeletal muscles, increasing sweat gland secretion, and reducing digestive activity. The nerves responsible for carrying these commands are the preganglionic sympathetic fibers that originate from the thoracolumbar region of the spinal cord.
Two aspects of the sympathetic division's activities are: first, a single preganglionic sympathetic neuron may have many targets throughout the body due to its branching architecture; second, it has the ability to act on broadly distributed organs nearly simultaneously.
With respect to the student's question on which two items involve the sympathetic division, the examples such as grabbing a coffee between two back-to-back final exams and possibly taking a water break while running a marathon (if it is under a stressful scenario) relate to the sympathetic activation. This is due to the fact that these activities are likely to be associated with stress responses, where the body needs to swiftly mobilize energy and focus.