Autonomic Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

What makes up the central nervous system? What does it do?

A

the brain and spinal cord with affiliated nuclei (gray matter) and tracts (white matter) that relays and integrates information recieved from the periphery of the body

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2
Q

What makes up the peripheral nervous system? What does it do?

A

comprised of nerves and ganglia that are responsible for the transmission of sensory input and motor output to/from the CNS from/to the periphery of the body

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3
Q

What is nervous tissue comprised of?

A

neurons and supporting cells

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4
Q

What do neurons represent in the nervous system?

A

the electrical conducting cells

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5
Q

What is the receiving end of the neuron? What does it do?

A

dendrites - relays information toward the cell body

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6
Q

What is the conducting portion of the neuron? What does it do?

A

axon - relays information away from the cell body

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7
Q

What is the classification of neurons based on their structure determined by?

A

the number of processes that emanate from the cell body

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8
Q

What are the 4 classifications of neurons? (based on structure)

A
  • Anaxonic
  • Bipolar
  • Unipolar
  • Multipolar
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9
Q

What are the 2 classifications of neurons? (based on function)

A
  • Afferent

- Efferent

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10
Q

What do afferent neurons do?

A

relay sensory information input to the CNS. conduct impulses from peripheral sensory receptors and into the CNS

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11
Q

What are the two most common afferent neuron structures? What do they do?

A

Bipolar - linked with special sensory systems, such as olfaction, vision, taste
Unipolar - transmit general sensory information from the periphery of the body and into the CNS

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12
Q

What do efferent neurons do? What is their structure?

A

relay motor output (via impulses)from the CNS to peripheral tissues - structurally they are multipolar

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13
Q

Where are the cell bodies of afferent neurons located?

A

outside the CNS (within the PNS)

- cell bodies of afferent neurons below the head region are located within bilateral dorsal root ganglia

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14
Q

Where are bilateral dorsal root ganglia located?

A

on either side of the spinal cord at each spinal segment

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15
Q

How do axons of several efferent neurons travel?

A

collectively together outside of the CNS within nerves

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16
Q

Where are efferent neuron cell bodies located?

A

within the CNS within nuclei that make up the gray matter of the CNS

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17
Q

What are two types of efferent neurons?

A

somatic and visceral

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18
Q

What is another name for autonomic neurons?

A

visceral efferent neurons

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19
Q

What are the characteristics of interneurons?

A
  • the entire neuron is located within the CNS
  • cell bodies are within nuclei of CNS gray matter
  • axons travel collectively within tracts, which comprise the majority of the CNS white matter
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20
Q

What are the three different tracts with regards to interneurons and the CNS? Where are they?

A
  • Ascending tracts - extend from spinal cord to brain
  • Descending tracts - extend from brain to spinal cord
  • Association tracts - extend between brain nuclei
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21
Q

What do interneurons do?

A

provide integration of information between the PNS and CNS.

  • relay information to other interneurons
  • relay input to the brain from the spinal cord
  • transmit motor output from the brain back to the spinal cord
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22
Q

What are spinal reflexes? (interneurons)

A

integration between afferent and efferent neurons within the spinal cord

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23
Q

What is primarily mediated by the peripheral nervous system?

A

Sensory input and motor output

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24
Q

What is a principle role of the central nervous system?

A

integration

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25
Q

Unconscious integration occurs at what level?

A

at the level of the spinal cord

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26
Q

Conscious integration occurs at what level?

A

at the brain

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27
Q

Where is the dendritic zone located and what does it receive?

A

located outside of the CNS and receives sensory innervation from the tissues of the body

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28
Q

What is afferent information transmitted towards and where is it located?

A

towards the sensory neuron cell body which is located within a dorsal root ganglion of the PNS

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29
Q

True or false? Axons of afferent neurons extend through the dorsal root and transmit sensory information into the spinal cord gray matter where they synapse onto interneurons.

A

True

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30
Q

What are two types of efferent neurons?

A

somatic and visceral

31
Q

What do axons of somatic efferent neurons do?

A

extend all the way to their target tissue and do NOT synapse before reaching their target tissue

32
Q

What are voluntary tissues?

A

skeletal muscle

33
Q

What do the axons of visceral efferent neurons do?

A

synapse onto a second neuron and it is the second neuron that directly innervates the target tissue

34
Q

What are involuntary tissues?

A

smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands

35
Q

What is a nerve?

A

neuron processes of several neurons traveling collectively together within the PNS (outside brain/spinal cord)

36
Q

What is a ganglion?

A

collection of neuron cell bodies located within the PNS (outside brain/spinal cord)

37
Q

Where are the cell bodies of efferent neurons always located? What do they form?

A

always located in the CNS and form aggregations with other efferent neuron cell bodies within the CNS

38
Q

What are aggregations of neuron cell bodies within the CNS called?

A

Nucleus (single) or nuclei (plural)

39
Q

What is gray matter?

A

aggregations of nuclei within the CNS
- the axonal processes extending from these neurons are collectively within nerves, where they may be coupled with processes of afferent neurons

40
Q

What is a mixed nerve?

A

a nerve comprised of both sensory neuron fibers and motor neuron axons

41
Q

What does the somatic motor division of the PNS supply?

A

voluntary tissues (skeletal m.)

42
Q

What does the autonomic (visceral) motor division of the PNS supply?

A

involuntary (smooth m., cardiac m., and glands)

43
Q

What are the characteristics of a pre-synaptic/ganglionic neuron?

A
  • cell body is located in the CNS (brain nucleus/spinal cord gray matter)
  • Axon synapases onto second autonomic neuron
44
Q

What are the characteristics of a post-synaptic/ganglionic neuron?

A
  • cell body is located within an autonomic ganglion
  • recall that ganglia are located outside of the CNS!
  • axon synapses with target tissues.
45
Q

What are spinal nerves?

A

Originate in the spinal cord and are mixed nerves comprised of sensory and motor neuron fibers which separate near their continuation into/out of the spinal cord

46
Q

What extends into the dorsal root of the spinal nerve?

A

afferent (sensory) axons of both somatic and visceral sensory neurons

47
Q

What does the visceral root of spinal nerves contain?

A
  • contains somatic motor neuron axons that extend from motor neuron cell bodies located within the ventral horn of the spinal cord gray matter
  • may also contain visceral motor (autonomic) neuron axons that extend from motor neuron cell bodies located within the lateral horn of the spinal gray matter
48
Q

Where do cranial nerves originate from? What do they innervate?

A

brain nuclei and innervate structures of the head and neck

49
Q

How many cranial nerves are there?

A

12

50
Q

True or false? All cranial nerves are mixed nerves.

A

False, not all of them are.

51
Q

What cranial nerves contain autonomic neurons?

A
  • Oculomotor (CN III)
  • Facial (CN VII)
  • Glossopharyngeal (CN IX)
  • Vagus (CN X)
52
Q

What are the two branches of the autonomic nervous system?

A

sympathetic and parasympathetic

53
Q

What is another name for the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system? Why is it called this?

A

thoracolumnar division because pre-synaptic fibers exit the spinal cord from the first thoracic (T1) to the second lumbar (L2) levels

54
Q

Where do pre-synaptic neurons generally synapse? (sympathetic) why?

A

Pre-synaptic neurons fibers are short and generally synapse within the sympathetic chain of ganglia (paravertebral) which is located on either side of the spinal cord

55
Q

What is another name for the parasympathetic division? Why is it called this?

A

craniosacral division because pre-synaptic fibers originate in the brain and also in the sacral levels of the spinal column

56
Q

Where do pre-synaptic neurons generally synapse? (parasympathetic) why?

A

pre-synaptic neuron fibers are long and generally synapse in ganglia that are located within the organs that they innervate

57
Q

What do all pre-synaptic sympathetic (pre-SNS) axons enter?

A

a chain of ganglia adjacent to the vertebral bodies

58
Q

What are the names of the chain of ganglia adjacent to the vertebral bodies?

A
  • sympathetic trunk
  • sympathetic chain
  • Paravertebral chain
59
Q

What are paravertebral ganglia comprised of?

A

post-SNS cell bodies located on either side of the vertebral column

60
Q

True or false? The axons of pre-SNS neurons may synapse on the post-SNS cell bodies located within the ganglia of the chain.

A

True

61
Q

True or false? Pre-SNS neurons can NOT synapse within pre-vertebral ganglia.

A

false. Some can

62
Q

Where are pre-vertebral ganglia located? What are they comprised of?

A

caudal to the diaphragm adjacent to major arterial branches of the abdominal aorta. comprised of post-SNS cell bodies

63
Q

What do splanchnic nerves do and what are they comprised of?

A

communicate with pre-vertebral ganglia. Comprised of pire-synaptic SNS axons that do not synapse within the paravertebral chain

64
Q

What is the celiac ganglion located near?

A

the origin of the celiac artery

65
Q

What is the cranial mesenteric ganglion located near?

A

the origin of the cranial mesenteric artery

66
Q

What is the caudal mesenteric ganglion located near?

A

the caudal mesenteri artery

67
Q

What is the name given to the cranial mesenteric and celiac ganglion because they are so close together/affiliated?

A

celiacomesenteric ganglion and plexus

68
Q

What are the names of cervically located ganglion upon which pre-SNS neurons synapse onto when they extend cranially to supply structures within the thorax and head region?

A
  • cervicothoracic ganglion
  • Middle cervical ganglion
  • Cranial cervical ganglion
69
Q

Where are pre-synaptic cell bodies of PSNS neurons located?

A

within brain nuclei and the sacral regions of the spinal cord

70
Q

True or false? PSNS and SNS neurons are distributed in the same way despite their different origins

A

True

71
Q

What does the vagus nerve do?

A

carries pre-PSNS axons from the brain to the thorax and abdomen

72
Q

Where are the majority of post-PSNS cell bodies located? What are they named?

A

within ganglia within the walls of the organs that they innervate.
- Referred to as terminal ganglia

73
Q

True or false? Neither branches of the ANS have origins from the cervical region of the spinal cord and do not supply components within the cervical visceral space.

A

False. Neither branches of the ANS have origins from the cervical region of the spinal cord, but the vagosympathetic nerve trunk transmits ANS components within the cervical visceral space