Final answer:
Sympathomimetics and anticholinergics both affect the autonomic nervous system, with sympathomimetics enhancing sympathetic functions and anticholinergics suppressing parasympathetic functions, ultimately resulting in an increased sympathetic response.
Step-by-step explanation:
Both sympathomimetics and anticholinergics have effects on the autonomic nervous system, although they act on different branches. Sympathomimetics, such as phenylephrine, mimic the effects of the sympathetic nervous system by binding to adrenergic receptors and stimulating an effect similar to that of norepinephrine and epinephrine. In contrast, anticholinergics block the muscarinic receptors of the parasympathetic system, thereby suppressing its activity. Despite acting on different pathways, their ultimate effects result in an increased sympathetic tone. This is due to the sympathomimetics' direct stimulation of the sympathetic system and anticholinergics' inhibition of the parasympathetic system, decreasing its counterbalancing influence on the sympathetic nervous system.