Question

Why does SNS engage epinephrine/norepinephrine (at the effector organ) while the PNS uses acetylcholine?

Is there some advantage of E/NE in terms of being faster or more long-lasting vs. AcH that resulted in this utilization?

Answer 1

The sympathetic nervous system uses epinephrine/norepinephrine as a neurotransmitter at effector organs, providing a faster and more widespread response compared to the parasympathetic system's use of acetylcholine.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) uses epinephrine/norepinephrine as a neurotransmitter at the effector organs, while the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) uses acetylcholine.

The reason for this difference is that epinephrine and norepinephrine can act as hormones when released into the bloodstream, allowing the sympathetic signal to spread quickly and affect multiple organ systems simultaneously. This results in a faster and more widespread response compared to the parasympathetic system, which primarily operates through direct neural connections.