Autonomic System

Question 1

What two systems is the nervous systems split into?

Answer 1

Autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system.

Question 2

What is the role of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 2

1. The reflex control of smooth and cardiac muscle.
2. The unconscious regulation of the bodies internal environment.

Question 3

How does the autonomic nervous system operate?

Answer 3

It operates through a reflex arc.

Input - Central Relay - Output

Question 4

Name four of the autonomic nervous systems inputs.

Answer 4

1. Temperature receptors.
2. Pain receptors.
3. Chemo receptors.
4. Blood pressure receptors (baroreceptors)

Question 5

Where are the input receptors found?

Answer 5

Heart, blood vessels, lungs, kidneys, gut, bladder, etc.

Question 6

What are the two divisions of the ANS?

Answer 6

1. The sympathetic nervous system.
2. The parasympathetic nervous system.

Question 7

Where do the outputs for the autonomic nervous system lead to?

Answer 7

Autonomic nerve fibres.

Question 8

Where in the spine does a sympathetic division nerve fibre leave from?

Answer 8

The thoracolumbar sympathetic division. These are the thoracic and lumbar segmental levels.

Question 9

Where in the spine does the parasympathetic division nerve fibre leave from?

Answer 9

The craniosacral division. This means that the nurse fibrous lead the spinal cord at the cranial and sacral segmental levels.

Question 10

Both divisions of the ANS supply the same organs what is this known as?

Answer 10

Dual innervation

Question 11

How many neurone output pathways do both systems have?

Answer 11

Two

Question 12

What is the layout of the neurone pathway?

Answer 12

Spinal cord, autonomic ganglion, target organ.

Question 13

What is the autonomic ganglion?

Answer 13

A collection of nerve cell bodies in the autonomic system where the synapses between the two neurones occur.

Question 14

What are the lengths of the sympathetic ganglionic nerve fibre?

Answer 14

Pre-ganglionic nerve fibre is short.
Postganglionic nerve fibre is long.

Question 15

What are the length of the parasympathetic ganglionic nerve fibres?

Answer 15

The pre-ganglionic nerve fibre is long.
Post-ganglionic nerve fibre is short.

Question 16

What neurotransmitter is used in both divisions at the synapse on the ganglion?

Answer 16

Both divisions use acetylcholine (ACh) at the synapse in the ganglion.

Question 17

What neurotransmitter is used at the target organ synapses?

Answer 17

The parasympathetic division uses acetylcholine.
The sympathetic division uses nor adrenaline (NA) - except if it’s at the sweat glands where acetylcholine is used.

Question 18

How do the divisions operate?

Answer 18

Mostly antagonistically meaning that they have opposite actions.

Question 19

What is the adrenal medulla and what is the role it plays in the autonomic nervous system.

Answer 19

It’s the middle portion of the adrenal gland.

It acts as a combination of sympathetic ganglion and a gland .

It secretes adrenaline and no adrenaline into circulation .

Question 20

Which nervous system becomes active when energy expenditure is required?

Answer 20

Sympathetic nervous system

Question 21

What nervous system tends to be a play at rest?

Answer 21

The parasympathetic nervous system as it tends to be energy conserving.

Question 22

What are the two basic types of noradrenaline receptors?

Answer 22

Alpha receptors
Beta receptors.

Each produces a different effect when noradrenaline binds to the receptors .

Question 23

What are the two types of acetylcholine receptors?

Answer 23

1. Nicotinic
2. Muscarinic

Question 24

What do the nicotinic receptors respond to and where are they found?

Answer 24

They respond to acetylcholine and also the drug nicotine.
They are found within the autonomic ganglia and at the skeletal muscle neuromuscular junction .

Question 25

What do muscarinic receptors respond to and where they found?

Answer 25

They respond to acetylcholine and also the drug muscarine. They are found at parasympathetic target organs.

Question 26

What effect does propranolol have on receptor types?

Answer 26

It is a beta blocker It blocks the effect of adrenaline and beta receptors .

Question 27

What effect does atropine (belladonna) have on receptor types?

Answer 27

It’s a muscarinic blocker. It’s blocks the effect of acetylene on muscarinic receptors.

Question 28

What effect does each system have on the pupil of an eye?

Answer 28

Sympathetic action - dilation of the pupil due to smooth muscle relaxation. Parasympathetic action - construction of the pupil due to smooth muscle contraction.

Question 29

What effect does each system have on the airways?

Answer 29

Sympathetic action - dilation due to smooth muscle relaxation at the beta receptors. Parasympathetic action - constriction due to smooth muscle contraction.

Question 30

What effect does each system have on the heart.

Answer 30

Sympathetic action - increased heart rate increased contractility (strength of contraction). Parasympathetic action - decrease heart rate and decreased contractility.

Question 31

What effect does each system have on the blood vessels (arterioles)?

Answer 31

Sympathetic action - constriction (smooth muscle contraction at the alpha receptors). Increase blood pressure. Parasympathetic action - no major effect- decreased blood pressure by decreased sympathetic activity.

Question 32

What effect does each system have on the GI tract?

Answer 32

Sympathetic action -relaxation, decreased motility, decrease secretions. Parasympathetic actions - increased motility, increased secretions.

Question 33

What effect does each system have on the adrenal medulla?

Answer 33

Sympathetic action - activated. Parasympathetic action - no effect.

Question 34

What effect does each system have on the bladder?

Answer 34

Sympathetic action - relaxation of the walls and the closing of the sphincter. Parasympathetic action - contraction of the walls and the opening of the sphincter.

Question 35

What effect does each system have on the genitalia?

Answer 35

Sympathetic action - ejaculation Parasympathetic action - erection

Question 36

What is the acronym for parasympathetic activity?

Answer 36

Salivation Lacrimation (tears) Urination Digestion Defaecation Decreased heart rate Decreased airway diameter Decreased pupil size.

Question 37

What is the fight or flight response?

Answer 37

Increase sympathetic output which is coordinated by the hypothalamus in response to a threat or danger.

Question 38

What happens to blood vessels during the fight or flight response?

Answer 38

Blood vessels change in preparation for increase muscle activity so they divert blood from non-essential areas.

Question 39

What happened to the airways during fight or flight response?

Answer 39

The airways dilate which moves air into the lungs faster.

Question 40

What is the effect of the liver during the fight or flight response?

Answer 40

There is an increased breakdown of glycogen in the liver which is promoted by the effects of nor adrenaline. This increases the blood glucose which increases the fuel supply .

Question 41

What does the fight or flight response have on the adrenal medulla?

Answer 41

There is an increased sympathetic output to the adrenal medulla which increases circulating levels of adrenaline and prolongs sympathetic response.

Question 42

What are the non-essential fight or flight responses?

Answer 42

Decreased salivary secretions Decreased gastrointestinal secretions Decreased gastrointestinal motility .

Question 43

When can fight or flight responses occur in normal every day life?

Answer 43

Exercise Emergency Excitement Embarrassment