Question

Malcolm is studying alone in his room late at night when he hears a loud noise downstairs. His heartbeat increases significantly and his breathing becomes shallow. He wonders if a burglar has entered the house and decides to investigate. When he gets downstairs, he discovers his cat has knocked over a plant stand. His body begins to relax and return to normal. Which part of his nervous system is responsible for returning Malcolm to a normal state?

Answer 1

parasympathetic nervous system

Step-by-step explanation:

After the fight or flight response generated by the sympathetic division under stress conditions, parasympathetic division triggers rest and digest activities to conserve and restore the energy levels of the body during the recovery time. It includes the stimulation of digestive glands and smooth muscles of the digestive tract to trigger the digestion and absorption of nutrients.

The parasympathetic division also slows down the physical activities of the body. It decreases heart rate, triggers constriction of airways and reduces the diameter of the pupil. Therefore, the parasympathetic division restored Malcolm to the normal state after the given stress condition.