Which system calms the body after a threat has passed?

• A. Parasympathetic Nervous System
• B. Sympathetic Nervous System
• C. Central Nervous System
• D. Somatic Nervous System

Answer: (A)

When a threat has passed, the body shifts into a calm, restorative state driven by the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. This system counteracts the arousal produced by danger, slowing the heart rate and breathing, lowering blood pressure, and promoting digestion and energy restoration. In contrast, the sympathetic division is the arousal system that prepares the body to act in danger (the fight-or-flight response), so it wouldn’t be responsible for calming after the threat disappears. The central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) processes information but isn’t the primary driver of this calming recovery on its own, and the somatic nervous system handles voluntary muscle control, not autonomic calming.