Sympathetic responses generally are widespread because:

• A. sympathetic neurotransmitters are rapidly broken down at the synapse
• B. the sympathetic nervous system only innervates a single organ at a time
• C. sympathetic responses are limited to voluntary muscle control
• D. preganglionic neurons synapse with many postganglionic neurons, allowing for a diffuse response

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the structure of the sympathetic nervous system, focusing on the relationship between preganglionic and postganglionic neurons.
2. Recognize that preganglionic neurons in the sympathetic nervous system can synapse with multiple postganglionic neurons, which is different from some other nervous system pathways.
3. Analyze how this synaptic arrangement allows a single preganglionic neuron to activate many postganglionic neurons simultaneously.
4. Consider how this widespread activation leads to a diffuse or generalized sympathetic response affecting multiple organs or tissues at once.
5. Conclude that this anatomical and functional feature explains why sympathetic responses are generally widespread rather than localized.