While you are hiking in the mountains, a rattlesnake slithers across your trail. Which of the following triggers the "fight-or-flight" response, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure, as you run away?

answer choices

a) somatic nervous system

b) sympathetic nervous system

c) motor cortex

d) limbic system

e) parasympathetic nervous system

The correct answer is B. Sympathetic nervous system.

Explanation:

The sympathetic nervous system is one of the divisions of the nervous system, along with the parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic system is in charge of reactions and visceral reactions, meaning reactions that we can't control consciously; our body does it for us. This system's main function is the fight or flight response, preparing the individual to respond quickly to any external stimulus and ensuring his/her survival.

This is done by increasing one's heart rate and blood pressure in order to get that "kick" to escape a possible dangerous situation, in this case being the sudden appearance of the rattlesnake.