What effect do motor neurons from the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous system have on the heart?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the functional effects of the motor neurons associated with the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous systems on the heart's activity, specifically how they influence heart contractions and rate.
Answer
Sympathetic increases heart rate; parasympathetic decreases heart rate.
The sympathetic nervous system increases heart rate and myocardial contractility, while the parasympathetic nervous system decreases heart rate.
Answer for screen readers
The sympathetic nervous system increases heart rate and myocardial contractility, while the parasympathetic nervous system decreases heart rate.
More Information
The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems have complementary roles—sympathetic activation prepares the body for 'fight or flight,' thereby increasing heart rate, while parasympathetic activation supports 'rest and digest' functions, reducing the heart rate.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse the effects of sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Remember that sympathetic activation usually speeds things up, while parasympathetic activation slows things down.
Sources
- Innervation of the heart: Sympathetic and parasympathetic - Kenhub - kenhub.com
- Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): What It Is & Function - Cleveland Clinic - my.clevelandclinic.org
- Parasympathetic Nervous System - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics - sciencedirect.com
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