parasympathetic nervous system

Comparisons between Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nerves

Sympathetic system has a broader distribution, innervating effectors throughout the body

Sympathetic fibers show greater ramification.

Sympathetic preganglionic fibers may traverse through many ganglia before terminiating at its post-ganglionic cell.
Synaptic terminal arborization results in a single preganglionic fiber terminating on many post-ganglionic cells.
This anatomical characteristic is the basis for the diffuse nature of sympathic response in the human and other species.

Parasympathetic system is relatively limited

The parasympathetic system has its terminal ganglia near the end-organ.

Sometimes there is but a one-to-one ratio relationship between pre-and post-ganglionic fibers. The ratio between preganglionic vagal fibers and ganglion cells may be much higher, e.g. 1:8000 for Auerbach's plexus