Which part of the autonomic nervous system conserves energy and promotes relaxation, slowing heart rate and increasing digestive activities?

• A. Parasympathetic response
• B. Sympathetic response
• C. Somatic nervous system
• D. Enteric nervous system

Answer: (A)

The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for conserving energy and promoting relaxation. It dominates during rest, slowing the heart rate and increasing digestive activity to handle digestion and recovery after meals. This “rest-and-digest” activity helps the body conserve energy rather than mobilize it.

The sympathetic division, by contrast, prepares the body for action—raising heart rate, redirecting blood to muscles, and suppressing digestion. The somatic nervous system controls voluntary skeletal muscle movement, not autonomic functions. The enteric nervous system governs gut function locally, but the overall effect described—slowing the heart and boosting digestion during relaxation—is characteristic of parasympathetic activity.