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ANAT-316 > Lecture 01a: Introduction to the Autonomic Nervous System > Flashcards

Lecture 01a: Introduction to the Autonomic Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two main functions of the nervous system?

A
  1. receiving and processing information from the environment
  2. coordinating and executing appropriate actions in response to stimuli
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2
Q

What is the nervous system comprised of?

A

neurons and neuroglia

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3
Q

What kind of cells are neurons?

A

excitable nerve cells

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4
Q

What kind of cells are neuroglia?

A

non-excitable supporting cells

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5
Q

What is the nervous system structurally divided into?

A

the CNS and PNS

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6
Q

What makes up the CNS?

A

brain + spinal cord (tracts + nuclei)

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7
Q

What makes up the PNS?

A

everything outside of the CNS (nerves + ganglia)

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8
Q

What are tracts?

A

white matter components

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9
Q

What are nuclei?

A

gray matter components

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10
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system divided into?

A

motor (efferent) and sensory (afferent) components

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11
Q

What do efferents do?

A

they carry signals from the CNS to muscles and glands

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12
Q

What do afferents do?

A

they carry signals from tissues and organs to the CNS

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13
Q

What is the motor component of the PNS divided into?

A

somatic and autonomic nervous systems

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14
Q

What is the function of the somatic nervous system?

A

it innervates skeletal muscle

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15
Q

What is the function of the autonomic nervous system?

A

it innervates smooth/cardiac muscle and most glands

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16
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system divided into?

A

the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

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17
Q

What is the sympathetic nervous system?

A

“fight or flight”

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18
Q

What is the parasympathetic nervous system?

A

“rest and digest”

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19
Q

What are the components of the enteric nervous system?

A

digestive organs only

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20
Q

Examples of somatic sensory

A

temperature, pain, touch, pressure, proprioception

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21
Q

Examples of visceral sensory

A

heart rate, nausea, hunger

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22
Q

Examples of somatic motor

A

contraction of skeletal muscle: movement at joints

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23
Q

Examples of visceral motor

A

glandular secretion, vasodilation/vasoconstriction

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24
Q

Where does sensory stimuli come from in the visceral nervous system?

A

from the internal environment

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25
Q

What kind of motor responses come from in the visceral nervous system?

A

motor control of smooth and cardiac muscle

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26
Q

What are visceral structures?

A

thoracic, abdominal and pelvic organs

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27
Q

Where are the cell bodies found in the somatic nervous system?

A

the ventral horn

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28
Q

Where do the cell bodies exit in the somatic nervous system?

A

through the ventral rootlet and roots into the spinal nerve

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29
Q

What neurotransmitter is released at the neuromuscular junction in somatic efferents?

A

acetylcholine

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30
Q

How does information travel in somatic efferents?

A

a single axon that goes from the CNS into peripheral tissues to innervate skeletal muscle

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31
Q

Where are cell bodies found in the visceral nervous system?

A

the lateral horn

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32
Q

Where do cell bodies exit in the visceral nervous system?

A

through the ventral rootlets and roots into the spinal nerve

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33
Q

Is the preganglionic neuron myelinated or unmyelinated in the visceral nervous system?

A

myelinated

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34
Q

What is released once the preganglionic neuron reaches the autonomic ganglion?

A

acetylcholine

35
Q

What is activated when acetylcholine is released?

A

the postganglionic neuron

36
Q

Is the postganglionic neuron myelinated or unmyelinated in the visceral nervous system?

A

unmyelinated

37
Q

What do postganglionic neurons release when they reach their target muscle?

A

either acetylcholine or norepinephrine

38
Q

What do visceral neurons innervate?

A

smooth muscle, cardiac muscle and glands

39
Q

What kind of innervation does the skin and adrenal gland receive?

A

sympathetic innervation

40
Q

What is another name for the sympathetic division?

A

thoracolumbar outflow T1-L2

41
Q

What are the 3 characteristics of the preganglionic sympathetic neurons?
(where are their cell bodies found, what are their sizes, what do they release)

A
  1. cell bodies in the lateral horns of the spinal cord
  2. short, myelinated axons
  3. release acetylcholine
42
Q

What are the 3 characteristics of the postganglionic sympathetic neurons?
(where are their cell bodies found, what are their sizes, what do they release)

A
  1. cell bodies in the sympathetic ganglia
  2. long, unmyelinated axons
  3. release norepinephrine
43
Q

What are sympathetic chains (paravertebral ganglia)?

A

interconnected ganglia lateral to vertebral column

44
Q

What are the 3 collateral ganglia?

A
  1. celiac ganglion
  2. superior mesenteric ganglion
  3. inferior mesenteric ganglion
45
Q

Where are collateral ganglia found?

A

anterior to the spinal cord

46
Q

What is the exception in the sympathetic division?

A

the adrenal medulla

47
Q

Why is the adrenal medulla the exception of the sympathetic division?

A

because it receives direct innervation from preganglionic sympathetic neurons

48
Q

Why does the adrenal medulla receive direct innervation from preganglionic sympathetic neurons?

A

because it produces norepinephrine itself

49
Q

What are the divisions of the sympathetic system?

A
  1. white ramus communicans
  2. grey ramus communicans
  3. sympathetic chain
  4. splanchnic nerves
50
Q

What passes through the white ramus communicans?

A

preganglionic neuron

51
Q

What passes through the grey ramus communicans?

A

postganglionic neuron

52
Q

What kind of axons are found in the sympathetic chain?

A

ascending/descending axons

53
Q

Where do splanchnic nerves synapse?

A

in collateral ganglia

54
Q

What happens during sympathetic pathways towards cranial, cervical and thoracic viscera?

A

preganglionic neurons synapse in superior ganglia of sympathetic chain; postganglionic neurons continue as named sympathetic nerves to target organs

55
Q

What happens during sympathetic pathways towards abdominal and pelvic viscera?

A

preganglionic neurons pass through sympathetic chain ganglia and create splanchnic nerves; synapse in collateral ganglia then to target organs

56
Q

What do postganglionic sympathetic fibers contribute to?

A

large visceral plexus near target organs

57
Q

What is another name for the parasympathetic division?

A

craniosacral outflow (brainstem + S2-S4)

58
Q

What carries the parasympathetic division?

A

4 cranial nerves + S2-S4

59
Q

What are the 4 cranial nerves used in the parasympathetic division?

A

CN III, CN VII, CN IX, CN X (3, 7, 9, 10)

60
Q

What nerve is CN III?

A

oculomotor nerve

61
Q

What nerve is CN VII?

A

facial nerve

62
Q

What nerve is CN IX?

A

glossopharyngeal nerve

63
Q

What nerve is CN X?

A

vagus nerve

64
Q

What are the 3 characteristics of the preganglionic parasympathetic neurons?
(where are their cell bodies found, what are their sizes, what do they release)

A
  1. cell bodies found in the lateral horns of the spinal cord
  2. long, myelinated axons
  3. release acetylcholine
65
Q

What are the 3 characteristics of the postganglionic parasympathetic neurons?
(where are their cell bodies found, what are their sizes, what do they release)

A
  1. cell bodies found in parasympathetic ganglia
  2. short, unmyelinated axons
  3. release acetylcholine
66
Q

Where are the visceral ganglia found in the parasympathetic system?

A

near or within the walls of target organs

67
Q

What are the 5 major functions of the parasympathetic nervous system?

A
  1. salivation
  2. lacrimation
  3. urination
  4. digestion
  5. defacation
68
Q

What kind of system is responsible for cutaneous structures like blood vessels, sweat glands and hair follicles?

A

only the sympathetic nervous system

69
Q

What kind of system is responsible for the dilation of the pupil (increasing the size)?

A

sympathetic nervous system

70
Q

What kind of system is responsible for the constriction of the pupil (decreasing the size)?

A

parasympathetic nervous system

71
Q

Does the sympathetic nervous system have single or multiple connections between pre- and post-ganglionic neurons?

A

multiple connections (widespread influence)

72
Q

Does the parasympathetic nervous system have single or multiple connections between pre- and post-ganglionic neurons?

A

it has one or two (localized actions)

73
Q

Are visceral afferents part of the autonomic nervous system?

74
Q

What do visceral afferents carry?

A

pain and sensation from organs

75
Q

What is the structure of visceral afferents?

A

collections of pseudo unipolar neurons with cell bodies in sensory ganglia

76
Q

What are dermatomes?

A

an area of skin innervated by sensory fibers in a single spinal nerve

77
Q

How are dermatomes distributed?

A

unilaterally

78
Q

What are the 4 key dermatomes?

A

C5-T1: upper limbs
T4: nipples
T10: belly button
L2-S2: lower limbs

79
Q

What is the definition of referred pain?

A

tissue injury/other painful stimulus in one area is perceived as pain elsewhere

80
Q

Why does referred pain happen?

A

because sensory neurons from visceral and somatic tissues from their dermatomes share similar pathways and may synapse on the same interneurons or higher order neurons

81
Q

Referred pain pattern for the heart

82
Q

Referred pain pattern for the diaphragm/lung

A

C3, C4, C5

83
Q

Referred pain pattern for the kidneys

A

T11/T12-L3

ANAT-316 (25 decks)

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