Autonomic Physiology 1

Question 1

What does the autonomic nervous system control?

Answer 1

Involuntary movement

Question 2

What are some examples of things that the autonomic nervous system controls?

Answer 2

Smooth muscle

Secretion from glands

Focusing of the eye

Question 3

What are the 2 nervous systems?

Answer 3

Somatic

Autonomic

Question 4

What are the 3 sections of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 4

Sympathetic division

Parasympathetic division

Enteric nervous system

Question 5

What does the enteric nervous system do?

Answer 5

Controls the gut

Question 6

What does a diagram showing the differences between the autonomic and somatic nervous systems look like?

Question 7

What is a ganglia?

Answer 7

Neuron cell body in the PNS, outside of the CNS

Question 8

What is the fibre called between the spinal cord and the ganglia?

Answer 8

Pre-ganglia fibre

Question 9

What is the fibre called between the ganglia and the target cell?

Answer 9

Post-ganglia fibre

Question 10

What is the myelination of the pre-ganglia fibre like?

Answer 10

Small unmyelinated

Question 11

What is the myelination of the post ganglia fibre like?

Answer 11

Unmyelinated

Question 12

What are properties of the somatic nervous system?

Answer 12

Specialised neuromuscular junction

Ionotropic receptors

Always activates target

Question 13

What are properties of the autonomic nervous system (contrasting of the somatic)?

Answer 13

Low specialised junction

Metabotropic receptors (G protein)

May excite or inhibit target

Question 14

What is the sympathetic division associated with?

Answer 14

Fight or flight

Question 15

What is the parasympathetic system associated with?

Answer 15

Rest and digest

Question 16

Where does the sympathetic nervous system leave the spinal cord from?

Answer 16

Thoracic (T1-12) and lumbar (L1-2) regions

Question 17

In the sympathetic system where does the ganglia lie between the spinal cord and the target cell?

Answer 17

Close to the spinal cord

Question 18

What are paravertebral ganglia?

Answer 18

Lie close to the spinal cord

Question 19

Why are pregangliotic regions known as white ramum?

Answer 19

Due to myelination

Question 20

What are postgangliatic fibres also known as?

Answer 20

Grey ramus

Question 21

What leads to mass activation within the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 21

Covergence and divergence

Question 22

What does a diagram showing the sympathetic division look like?

Question 23

What are the neurotransmitters of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 23

Acetylcholine

Noradrenaline

Question 24

What kind of receptors does noradrenaline act on?

Answer 24

Adrenergic receptors

Question 25

What are the adrenergic receptors that noradrenaline act on called?

Answer 25

Alpha and beta receptors

Question 26

What kind of receptors does acetylcholine act on?

Answer 26

Cholinergic receptors

Question 27

What are the cholinergic receptors that acetylcholine act on called?

Answer 27

Muscurinic and nicotinic

Question 28

What kind of receptors does the autonomic nervous system use?

Answer 28

G protein coupled

Question 29

What do preganglionic fibres release in the sympathetic nervous system and what does it act on?

Answer 29

Acetylcholine acting on a nicotine cholinergic receptor

Question 30

What do post ganglionic fibres release in the sympathetic nervous system and what do they act on?

Answer 30

Noradrenaline which acts on alpha or beta adrenergic receptors

Question 31

What post ganglionic cells have no axons?

Answer 31

Adrenal medulla

Question 32

What acts on the adrenal medulla?

Answer 32

Sympathetic nervous system

Question 33

What does the adrenal medulla do?

Answer 33

Releases adrenaline and noradrenaline (4:1) in the blood which then binds to the same receptors via the blood

Question 34

Where does the parasympathetic nervous system exit the spinal cord?

Answer 34

Cranial (III, VII, IX, X) and sacral (S2-4) regions

Question 35

Where do ganglia lie in the parasympathetic nervous system?

Answer 35

Close to the target

Question 36

What do preganglionic fibres in the parasympathetic system release and what do they act on?

Answer 36

Acetylcholine which acts on nicotinic cholinergic receptors

Question 37

What do postganglionic fibres in the parasympathetic system release and what do they act on?

Answer 37

Acetylcholine which acts on muscarinic cholinergic receptors

Question 38

What does a diagram showing the parasympathetic nervous system look like?

Question 39

What are examples of postganglionic fibres not following the rules?

Answer 39

Sympathetic cholinergic fibres innervate sweat glands Some release non adrenergic and non cholinergic transmitters such as peptides or NO