Pharamacology Nervous System Question

Question

Does the Parasympathomimetic effect increase, decrease, or has no effect:

Blood flow to skeletal muscles

Blood Glucose

Blood Pressure

Bronchial Smooth Muscle

Digestion

Heart Rate

Insulin

Mucus Secretion

Pupils

Salivation

Answer 1

Sympathetics is our "fight and flight" response and parasympathetics is our "rest and digest" response. I like to think of sympathetics like you're running from a bear. So, if you're running from a bear, your heart will be pumping, you want your airway to be open, you want blood to your muscles so that you can run, you want your eyes to be open, and you don't want to be a crying, drooling mess. Right?

So, Sympathetics would increase our blood flow to skeletal muscles. We need glycogen for our muscle activity, so blood glucose would be increased, therefore decreasing insulin. Our blood pressure and our heart rate would be increased, our airway would be open (bronchodilation), and our pupils dilated. You don't want to be digesting food, so digestion slows, and mucus secretion and salivation decreases.

Parasympathetics is the opposite. Bronchoconstriction, vasodilation, pupil constriction, increased digestion and insulin for digestion, decreased blood pressure, decreased heart rate, and increased salivation and mucus secretion. Think relaxing - no more bears!

I hope I didn't miss anything and I hope this analogy helps!