The effects of the _____ can be summed up by the phrase: rest and digest.

• A. Automatic nervous system
• B. Somatic nervous system
• C. Sympathetic nervous system
• D. Parasympathetic nervous system

Answer: (D)

Rest and digest describes the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, which promotes calming, energy conservation, and maintenance activities. It slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, stimulates digestion and saliva production, and supports storage of energy after meals or during relaxation. This contrasts with the sympathetic division, which gears the body up for action—speeding heart rate, dilating pupils, redirecting blood to muscles, and inhibiting digestion in the moment of stress. The somatic nervous system, on the other hand, governs voluntary movement and sensation, not these automatic, restorative processes. So, the phrase rest and digest points to the parasympathetic system.