Which division promotes rest and digestion?

• A. Sympathetic Nervous System
• B. Endocrine System
• C. Parasympathetic Nervous System
• D. Cerebellum

Answer: (C)

The parasympathetic nervous system dominates during relaxed states and drives rest and digestion. It promotes gastrointestinal motility and secretions, stimulates processes that store energy such as saliva production and pancreatic and bile secretions, and slows the heart rate to conserve energy. This contrasts with the sympathetic division, which prepares the body for action by increasing heart rate and reducing digestive activity. The endocrine system handles hormonal signaling and isn’t the specific autonomic pathway for rapid digestion, and the cerebellum governs movement coordination rather than autonomic functions. Thus, the division that promotes rest and digestion is the parasympathetic nervous system.