Final answer:
Option c) increases activity of the digestive tract is NOT a characteristic of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system decreases digestive activity during fight-or-flight responses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the characteristics of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. Answering which of the given options is NOT a characteristic involves understanding the sympathetic system's functions:
- Increases heart rate and blood pressure (This is a characteristic)
- Is the fight-or-flight division (This is a characteristic)
- Increases activity of the digestive tract (This is NOT a characteristic)
- Is the thoracolumbar division (This is a characteristic)
The sympathetic nervous system activates during stressful "fight or flight" situations. It prepares the body for rapid action by increasing heart rate and blood pressure and redirecting blood flow away from the digestive tract and towards the muscles, thereby decreasing digestive activity. This contrasts with the parasympathetic division, which is associated with rest and digest functions.