Which nervous system component is responsible for the 'fight or flight' response?

Which nervous system component is responsible for the 'fight or flight' response?

• A. Sympathetic nervous system
• B. Parasympathetic nervous system
• C. Central nervous system
• D. Somatic nervous system

Answer: (A)

The fight or flight response is mediated by the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. When activated by threat, this system quickly prepares the body for action: heart rate and the strength of contraction increase, airways dilate, pupils enlarge, blood is redirected to muscles, and glucose is mobilized. Adrenaline released from the adrenal medulla amplifies these effects, creating a rapid, generalized arousal. The opposite division, parasympathetic, promotes calm and digestion, which would dampen these responses. The central nervous system processes the threat, but the rapid, coordinated bodily changes come from the sympathetic system. The somatic nervous system handles voluntary muscle control, not this autonomic arousal.

The fight or flight response is mediated by the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. When activated by threat, this system quickly prepares the body for action: heart rate and the strength of contraction increase, airways dilate, pupils enlarge, blood is redirected to muscles, and glucose is mobilized. Adrenaline released from the adrenal medulla amplifies these effects, creating a rapid, generalized arousal. The opposite division, parasympathetic, promotes calm and digestion, which would dampen these responses. The central nervous system processes the threat, but the rapid, coordinated bodily changes come from the sympathetic system. The somatic nervous system handles voluntary muscle control, not this autonomic arousal.