The autonomic nervous system, which is also called the autonomic system, has several subunits or parts. One of them is the sympathetic nervous system. Division into departments is based on functional and morphological features. Another subspecies is the parasympathetic nervous system.
In the life of a living organism, the nervous system performs a wide range of functions, which makes its importance very high. The system itself is complex and has several departments and subspecies, each of which takes part of the functions. The most interesting thing is that for the first time such a concept as the sympathetic nervous system appeared in 1732. Initially, the term was used to refer to the entire autonomic nervous system. But as the knowledge of scientists accumulated, they realized that there is a much wider layer, therefore this concept began to refer to only one of the subspecies.
If we consider specific values, it turns out that the sympathetic nervous system performs quite interesting functions for the body - it is she who is responsible for the expenditure of resources, as well as for the mobilization of forces in emergency situations. If such a need arises, then the sympathetic system increases the waste of energy so that the body can continue to function normally and fulfill its tasks. When we talk about hidden opportunities and resources, we mean just that. The state of the body will depend on how the system will cope with this.
However, all this is a strong stress for the body, so for a long time in this mode it will not be able to function. Here the parasympathetic system comes into play, the tasks of which include the restoration of resources and their accumulation, so that subsequently a person can perform the same tasks, and his capabilities are not limited. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system ensure the normal functioning of the human body in different conditions. They work inextricably and constantly complement each other.
Anatomical device
The sympathetic nervous system seems to be a rather complex and ramified structure. The central part is located in the spinal cord, and the periphery connects various nerve nodes and endings in the body. Actually the endings of the sympathetic nerves are connected in numerous innervated tissues in the plexus.
The periphery of the system is formed due to a variety of sensitive efferent neurons, from which special processes depart. They are removed from the spinal cord and are collected mainly in the prevertebral and paravertebral nodes.
Sympathetic system functions
As mentioned earlier, the sympathetic system is fully activated in stressful situations. In some sources, it is called the reactive sympathetic nervous system, because it must give a certain reaction of the body to a situation formed from the outside.
At this point, adrenaline begins to be produced in the adrenal glands, which serves as the main substance that allows a person to better and faster respond to stressful situations. However, a similar situation can occur during physical exertion, when due to the adrenaline rush, a person begins to better cope with it. Secretion of adrenaline enhances the action of the sympathetic system, which begins to "provide" resources for increased energy consumption, because adrenaline only stimulates various organs and senses, but in no way is the resource itself.
The effect on the body is quite high, because after that the person experiences fatigue, fatigue, and so on, depending on how long the adrenaline effect lasted and how long the sympathetic system spent resources to maintain the body at the same level.