The branch of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for 'fight or flight' responses during stress or danger. It increases heart rate, dilates pupils, releases stress hormones, and redirects blood flow to muscles.
From Greek sympatheia meaning 'fellow feeling' or 'shared experience,' from syn- 'together' + pathos 'feeling.' Named in the 18th century because anatomists observed that stimulating one part seemed to create 'sympathetic' responses throughout the body.
The sympathetic nervous system can make your heart pump five times more blood per minute during extreme stress! It's like having a built-in turbo system that can instantly transform your body from energy-saving mode to maximum performance mode in milliseconds.
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