Which statement best describes the sympathetic system?

• A. Breaks down food for energy
• B. Promotes Rest and Digest activities
• C. Prepares body for 'fight or flight' response
• D. Regulates water balance

Answer: (C)

The sympathetic system prepares the body for action in stressful situations, activating the fight-or-flight response. It speeds up heart rate and the force of heart contractions to boost blood flow, opens the airways to increase oxygen intake, dilates pupils, and redirects blood toward the muscles. It also stimulates release of glucose from the liver for quick energy and temporarily slows nonessential processes like digestion to conserve energy. This contrasts with the rest-and-digest activities governed by the parasympathetic system, and with other roles like water regulation that involve different controls. So the statement that best describes the sympathetic system is that it prepares the body for fight or flight.