parasympathetic nervous system
nounDefinition 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 heart rate, and that consists of a cranial and a sacral part — compare sympathetic nervous system
Examples of parasympathetic nervous system in a Sentence
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To do its job, your ANS is divided into two parts: your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). — Natasha Lavender, SELF, "Is Trypophobia Really a Fear of Holes or Something Else Entirely?," 26 July 2019 The vagus nerve’s job is to regulate your parasympathetic nervous system. — Anne R. Crecelius, The Conversation, "Why do people faint?," 20 June 2019 Scientifically speaking, this activates the mammalian diving reflex and kicks on your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation. — Melody Wilding, Quartz at Work, "How to control your emotions when you’re at work," 3 June 2019 Gua sha also addresses the parasympathetic nervous system and can help with anxiety, stress, pain, and depression. — Prue Lewington, Harper's BAZAAR, "Women Are Giving Up Botox for Facial Massage," 23 May 2019 This new kind of urban oasis is meant to have its own effect—triggering the parasympathetic nervous system to help the body to relax, digest, and heal, says Berzin. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "Inside the New York Wellness Space That Could Be the Future of Primary Care," 30 Jan. 2019 On the flip side, nature boosted the body’s parasympathetic nervous system activity by 55 percent, meaning participants were more relaxed. — Christine Yu, SELF, "Wading in a Cranberry Bog Was the Therapeutic Experience I Didn’t Know I Needed," 26 Oct. 2018 These studies proved that music could lower blood pressure, decrease pulse rate and assists the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for digestion and some metabolic processes. — Nicole Dellert, Allure, "I Tried a Sound Bath — Here's What This Meditative Practice Is Really Like," 24 Oct. 2018These 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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