Lumbar Plexus & Inn of the Abdomen and Pelvis Flashcards
Lumbar Plexus
ventral primary rami T12 to L4(L5) branches also carry sympathetic fibers L4-L5 from the lumbar plexus becomes the 1st branch of the sacral plexus most branches associated w/ the psoas mm
Lumbar Plexus Components
Subcostal Iliohpogastric Ilioinguinal Genitofemoral Lateral femoral cutaneous Obturator Femoral Lumbosacral trunk
SNS
voluntary or subconscious control single neuron pathway
no ganglia involved in pathway
sensory input from general and special senses motor output to skeletal m
excites using acetylcholine
axons are thick and myelinated = fast conduction
ANS
involuntary or unconscious control two neuron pathway
ganglia involved in pathway
sensory input from general and visceral senses motor output to cardiac, smooth m, and glands
can excite or inhibit function using acetylcholine and norepinephrine
axons are thin some are myelinated, other are not = slower conduction
autonomic plexuses
collections of sympathetic postganglionic axons and parasympatheitc preganglionic axons, as well as some visceral sensory axons
sympathetic and parasympatheitc plesuses are colose to one another, but they do not interact or synapse with one another
provide a complex innervation pattern to their target organs
cardiac plexus
increased sympathetic activity increases heart rate and blood pressure
increased parasympathetic activity decreases heart rate
pulmonary plexus
parasympathetic pathway causes bronchoconstriction and increased secretion from mucous glands of the bronchial tree
sympathetic innervation causes bronchodilation
esophageal plexus
parasympathetic axons control the swallowing reflex
abdominal aortic plexus
consists of the celiac plexus, superior mesenteric plexus, and inferior mesenteric plexus = autonomic control of digestion
hypogastric plexus
innervates pelvic visera = autonomic control of urinary and reproductive function
dual innervation
many visceral effector (ORGANS) are innervated by postganglionic axons from both ANS divisions
actions of the divisions usually oppose each other
opposing effects are also achieved by increasing or decreasing activity in one division (one division can up regulate or down regulate the other)
Parasympathetic Axons
long to Ach
short to Ach
Sympathetic Axons
short to Ach
Long to Nor
Sympathetics - Fight or Flight FXN of the ANS
may involve a single effector or many effectors
in mass activation, a large number of ganglionic neurons activate many effector organs
causes a heightened sense of alertness due to stimulation of the reticular activation system
organization and anatomy of the sympathetic division
much more complex than the parasympathetic division both anatomically and functionally
sypathetic preganglionic neurons cell bodies are housed in the lateral horn of the T1-L2 regions of the spinal cord
preganglionic sympathetic axons travel with somatic motor neurons axons to exit the spinal cord and 1st enter the anterior roots and then the T1-L2 spinal nerves
preganglionic sympathetic axons remain with the spinal nerve fro a short distance before they branch off and leave the spinal nerve
L and R sympathetic trunks
immediately anterior to the paired spinal nerves are the L and R sympathetic trunks
each is located immediately lateral to the vertebral column
a sympathetic trunk looks much like a string of beads
the string is composed of bundles of axons
the beads are the sympathetic trunk ganglia which house sympathetic ganglionic neuron cell bodies
once sypathetic trunk ganglion is approximately associated w/ each spinal n.
the cervical portion of each sympathetic trunk is partitioned into only three sympatheitc trunk ganglia, the superior, middle, and inferior cervical ganglia, as opposed to the 8 cervical spinal nerves
white rami
connecting the spinal nerves to each sympathetic trunk are rami communicantes
they carry preganglionic sympathetic axons from the T1-L2 spinal nerves to the sympathetic trunk
they are associated only with the T1-L2 spinal nerves
preganglionic axons are mylinated - the white ramus has a whitish appearance
similar to enterance ramps on a highway
grey rami
carry postganglionic sympathetic axons from the sympathetic trunk to the the spinal nerve
axons are unmylinated - gray rami have a grayish appearance
similar to exit ramps on a highway
connect to all spinal nerves including the cervical, sacral, and coccygeal spinal nerves
in this way sympathetic information that started out in the thoracolumbar region can be dispersed to all parts of the body
sympathetic pathways
spinal n pathway
postganglionic sympathetic n pathway
the splanchinic n pathway
the adrenal medulla pathway
splanchinic nerves
composed of preganglionic sympathetic axons
run anteriorly from the sympathetic trunk to most of the viscera
should not be confused w/ the pelvic splanchnic n associated with the parasympathetic divisions
terminate in prevertebral ganglia
called prevertebral because they are immediately anterior to the vertebral column on the anterolateral wall of the abdominal aorta
prevertebral ganglia typically cluster around the major abdominal a and are named for these arteries
sympathetic post ganglionic axons extend away from the ganglionic neurons cell bodies in these ganglia and innervate many of the abdominal organs
Larger splanchinc nerves
greater thoracic splanchnic n lesser thoracic splanchnic n least thoracic splanchnic n lumbar splanchnic n sacral splanchnic n
prevertebral ganglia
differ from the sympathetic trunk ganglia
are single structures rather than paired
are anterior to the vertebral column on the anterior surface of the aorta
located only in the abdominopelvic cavity
prevertebral ganglia include the celiac, superior mesenteric, and inferior mesenteric ganglia
Parasympathetic division - rest and digest
parasympathetic division is most active during times when the body must process nutrients and conserve energy
lack of extensive divergence in preganglionic axons prevents the mass activation seen in the sympathetic division
effects of the parasympatheitc nervous system tend to be discrete and localized
parasympathetic activity can affect one group of organs w/o necessarily having to turn on all other organs
The parasympathetic division
also termed craniosacral division
primarily concerned with conserving energy and replenishing nutrient stores
in most active when the boy is at rest or digesting a meal
participates along with the sympathetic division in maintaining homeostasis