Autonomic Nervous System Flashcards
What are the areas of the brain that control the autonomic nervous system?
-hypothalamus
-pons
-medulla
-midbrain (not as much)
What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
parasympathetic and sympathetic
Which of the two divisions of the ANS is typically active at rest?
parasympathetic
Characteristics of the sympathetic nervous system:
-fight or flight
-can selectively activate effectors of elicit a mass discharge
-noradrenergic/adrenergic
Characteristics of parasympathetic nervous system:
-rest and digest
-control mechanisms are almost always specific, activating or inhibiting discrete targets
-cholinergic (ACH)
Where are parasympathetic neurons found exiting and entering the spinal cord?
craniosacral regions
Where are sympathetic neurons found exiting and entering the spinal cord?
thoracolumbar
Are organs typically innervated by both the parasympathetic or sympathetic, or just one division?
typically both b
What are ganglia?
group of neuronal cell bodies outside the CNS
What cranial nerves have parasympathetic fibers?
III, VII, IX, and X
What is releases at every preganglionic terminal?
ACH
What type of receptors does ACH bind to?
nicotinic receptors
What type of response does the release of ACH cause in the postganglionic neuron?
EPSP
Where do the sympathetic neurons synapse?
-synapse at the ganglia at the level it leaves the spinal cord
-move up or down and synapse at a different ganglia
-pass through the chain and out a sympathetic nerve and synapse at a peripheral ganglia
exception to the synapsing rules:
sympathetics in the adrenal medulla
What is released from most sympathetic postganglionic nerves?:
NE (norepinephrine )
What are two of the exceptions to the rule that all post ganglionic sympathetic fibers release norepinephrine?
-ACH releases at sweat glands
-ACH released at some skeletal muscle vasculature
Where does the ACH bind to on the effector?
alpha or beta receptors
What special type of cell is present in the adrenal medulla that released epinephrine/norepinephrine right in to the blood stream?
chromaffin cells
How can the adrenal medulla release epinephrine straight into the blood stream?
because it has a special enzyme that turns norepinephrine into epinephrine
Do alpha or beta receptors have a higher affinity for catecholamines?
beta receptors
What do alpha 1 receptors do?
constrict smooth muscle
-increase in IP3
-causes a release in extra calcium
What do alpha 2 receptors cause?
block further norepinephrine release
-cause muscle contraction
What has a higher affinity for beta 1 receptors, Epi or NE?
almost equal