Paul was awakened by a thumping noise in the middle of the night. Frightened, he jumped out of bed to investigate. Hearing a muffled meow, Paul realized that his cat was shut in the closet and was pushing against the door. Breathing a sigh of relief, Paul let the cat out of the closet and went back to bed. Which subdivision of the nervous system helped calm down and restore Paul's body functioning back to normal?
A)parasympathetic
B)endocrine
C)sympathetic
D)somatic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The parasympathetic subdivision of the nervous system is responsible for calming down the body and restoring normal functioning after a stressful or frightening event. In this scenario, Paul was frightened by the noise in the middle of the night but was able to calm down and go back to bed after realizing that his cat was the source of the noise. The parasympathetic nervous system helped to restore his body to a state of relaxation and calmness.

Paul Was Awakened by a Thumping Noise in the Middle