parasympathetic nervous system

noun

Definition of parasympathetic nervous system

Examples of parasympathetic nervous system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The first, known in scientific circles as the Stress Reduction Theory, is that exposure to many forms of nature engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and digestion and encourages stress recovery. — Jillian Mock, Time, 27 Apr. 2022 The autonomic nervous system, which regulates things like heart rate, pupil dilation, body temperature, and digestion, can be split into two categories: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 28 Mar. 2022 At night, the parasympathetic nervous system helps the body rest, digest, and recuperate. — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 28 Mar. 2022 These include anti-inflammation, faster muscle and cellular recovery, a more resilient parasympathetic nervous system and faster detoxification from metabolic waste. — Bianca Salonga, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022 Even a few minutes of slow deep breathing is enough to get the parasympathetic nervous system going, though doing it for longer may elicit greater effects. — Patrick Wilson, Outside Online, 21 Aug. 2020 Deep diaphragmatic breathing engages our parasympathetic nervous system and inhibits our body's production of stress hormones and stimulates feel-good hormones. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 21 Nov. 2021 Our autonomic nervous system has two branches: the sympathetic nervous system (or gas) and the parasympathetic nervous system (or brakes). — Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2021 The effect, if true, would result from the parasympathetic nervous system, Pristas explains, tying into a feeling of being cocooned. — Jamie Gold, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parasympathetic nervous system.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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parasympathetic nervous system

parasympathomimetic

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Last Updated

11 May 2022

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“Parasympathetic nervous system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parasympathetic%20nervous%20system. Accessed 30 Jun. 2022.

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More Definitions for parasympathetic nervous system

parasympathetic nervous system

noun

Medical Definition of parasympathetic nervous system

: the part of the autonomic nervous system that contains chiefly cholinergic fibers, that tends to induce secretion, to increase the tone and contractility of smooth muscle, and to slow the heart rate, and that consists of (1) a cranial part made up of preganglionic fibers leaving and passing the midbrain by the oculomotor nerves and the hindbrain by the facial, glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves and passing to the ciliary, sphenopalatine, submandibular, and otic ganglia of the head or to ganglionated plexuses of the thorax and abdomen and postganglionic fibers passing from these ganglia to end organs of the head and upper trunk and (2) a sacral part made up of preganglionic fibers emerging and passing in the sacral nerves and passing to ganglionated plexuses of the lower trunk and postganglionic fibers passing from these plexuses chiefly to the viscera of the lower abdomen and the external genital organs

— called also parasympathetic system

— compare sympathetic nervous system