Lecture 01a: Introduction to the Autonomic Nervous System Flashcards
What are the two main functions of the nervous system?
- receiving and processing information from the environment
- coordinating and executing appropriate actions in response to stimuli
What is the nervous system comprised of?
neurons and neuroglia
What kind of cells are neurons?
excitable nerve cells
What kind of cells are neuroglia?
non-excitable supporting cells
What is the nervous system structurally divided into?
the CNS and PNS
What makes up the CNS?
brain + spinal cord (tracts + nuclei)
What makes up the PNS?
everything outside of the CNS (nerves + ganglia)
What are tracts?
white matter components
What are nuclei?
gray matter components
What is the peripheral nervous system divided into?
motor (efferent) and sensory (afferent) components
What do efferents do?
they carry signals from the CNS to muscles and glands
What do afferents do?
they carry signals from tissues and organs to the CNS
What is the motor component of the PNS divided into?
somatic and autonomic nervous systems
What is the function of the somatic nervous system?
it innervates skeletal muscle
What is the function of the autonomic nervous system?
it innervates smooth/cardiac muscle and most glands
What is the autonomic nervous system divided into?
the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
“fight or flight”
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
“rest and digest”
What are the components of the enteric nervous system?
digestive organs only
Examples of somatic sensory
temperature, pain, touch, pressure, proprioception
Examples of visceral sensory
heart rate, nausea, hunger
Examples of somatic motor
contraction of skeletal muscle: movement at joints
Examples of visceral motor
glandular secretion, vasodilation/vasoconstriction
Where does sensory stimuli come from in the visceral nervous system?
from the internal environment
What kind of motor responses come from in the visceral nervous system?
motor control of smooth and cardiac muscle
What are visceral structures?
thoracic, abdominal and pelvic organs
Where are the cell bodies found in the somatic nervous system?
the ventral horn
Where do the cell bodies exit in the somatic nervous system?
through the ventral rootlet and roots into the spinal nerve
What neurotransmitter is released at the neuromuscular junction in somatic efferents?
acetylcholine
How does information travel in somatic efferents?
a single axon that goes from the CNS into peripheral tissues to innervate skeletal muscle
Where are cell bodies found in the visceral nervous system?
the lateral horn
Where do cell bodies exit in the visceral nervous system?
through the ventral rootlets and roots into the spinal nerve
Is the preganglionic neuron myelinated or unmyelinated in the visceral nervous system?
myelinated