Our nervous system is divided into two categories: Autonomic and Somatic.
Autonomic includes all the processes that occur automatically without our conscious thoughts such as breathing and heartbeat.
Somatic, on the other hand, deals with conscious processes such as walking, running, raising your hand etc.
Autonomic nervous system can be further divided into two categories: Sympathetic and Parasympathetic.
Sympathetic system stimulates our fight or flight response, while parasympathetic is all about rest and relax. These are two opposing systems and have opposite effects on our organs. For example, under sympathetic system our pupils dilate and heartbeat increases , while under parasympathetic the opposite happens.
Some of the other functions of sympathetic system include: limiting digestion, increases sweating and increased blood pressure.
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