Why does the somatic nervous system enable a faster response compared to the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?

The somatic nervous system enables a faster response compared to the autonomic nervous system primarily because somatic motor neurons are myelinated and do not involve ganglia in their signaling pathway. Myelination allows for rapid conduction of action potentials along the axon due to saltatory conduction, which amplifies the speed of nerve signal transmission.

In the somatic nervous system, motor neurons directly innervate skeletal muscles without the use of ganglia that would introduce additional synaptic delay. This direct pathway ensures that signals travel quickly from the central nervous system to the effector muscles, resulting in rapid and coordinated muscle contractions.

In contrast, the autonomic nervous system often has a more complex structure with two-neuron pathways that include pre- and post-ganglionic fibers separated by synapses in ganglia. This arrangement inherently slows down the response because the presence of ganglia adds additional synaptic transmission time.

Overall, the myelination of somatic motor neurons coupled with their direct connection to target tissues supports quicker responses in the somatic nervous system as compared to the autonomic nervous system.