Question

Julia is swimming in the ocean down south and thinks she sees a shark. After a few seconds, she realizes it is just a floating bottle, and she breathes a sign of relief. What division of Julia's nervous system would have been activated when she thought she saw the shark, and what other division would have been activated when she realized it was just a floating bottle?

A) Sympathetic; Parasympathetic
B) Parasympathetic; Sympathetic
C) Central; Peripheral
D) Peripheral; Central

Answer 1

When Julia thought she saw a shark, her sympathetic nervous system was activated. Upon realizing it was just a bottle, her parasympathetic nervous system took over to calm her down. The answer is A) Sympathetic; Parasympathetic.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Julia thought she saw a shark while swimming, her sympathetic nervous system would have been activated. This division of the autonomic nervous system prepares the body for stressful situations by initiating a "fight or flight" response, which could include an increased heart rate and a rush of adrenaline.

Once she realized that it was just a floating bottle and was no longer under stress, her parasympathetic nervous system would be activated to calm her body down and return to a state of rest, also known as the "rest and digest" response. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is A) Sympathetic; Parasympathetic.