Every other Friday, the Outside/In team answers one listener question about the natural world. This week, Monica in West Hartford, CT asked, “We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘take a deep breath,’ and ...

You may understand the respiratory and digestive systems as separate entities but, in many ways, the two are intimately connected. For example, breathing provides oxygen to help your digestive tract ...

The sympathetic nervous system, which helps your heart and other vital organs function all the time, increases activity in response to danger or stress, preparing the body for extra demands. Stress is ...

The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and the spinal cord and controls most functions of the body and the mind. The CNS governs voluntary movements, such as walking, and involuntary ...

Each part of the nervous system uses internal checks and balances to regulate its activity, responding to various factors like mood, health status, and the external environment.¹ These regulatory ...