Final answer:
The voluntary use of muscles, such as flexing to shoot a basketball, is controlled by the somatic nervous system. This system governs voluntary movements and includes the contraction of skeletal muscles, differing from the autonomic nervous system which regulates involuntary actions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asked which nervous system controls the voluntary use of muscles when Aaron shoots a basketball into the basket. The correct answer is the somatic nervous system, which is responsible for conscious perception and voluntary motor responses. This system involves the contraction of skeletal muscles, which is a voluntary action, whereas the autonomic nervous system governs involuntary responses such as increased heart rate and sweating during exercise.
During activities like playing softball, the voluntary actions, like running to a base or swinging a bat, are governed by the somatic nervous system, and all the other systems working involuntarily, such as the cardiac and respiratory systems, are regulated by the autonomic nervous system. Thus, for the specific action of shooting a basketball, where Aaron is consciously deciding to flex his muscles and aim for the basket, it is the somatic nervous system that is in control.