How does the Sympathetic & Parasympathetic systems relate?

sergio-hernandez

I know all the ways the compare to each other, but my homework asks for their relation. Plz help thank you.

natasha-reid_6096fef9ca4c4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasympathetic_nervo...

How do sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work together to regulate heart rate ?

Sympathetic neurons cause pacemaker cells to generate action potentials more frequently, and thus increase heart rate. In contrast, parasympathetic neurons have the opposite effect; they cause a decrease in the frequency of action potentials generated by peacemaker cells, and thus decrease heart rate. The heart simultaneously receives both sympathetic and parasympathetic signals in a "push-pull" manner. Increases in one are accompanied by decreases in the other.