Neuro 10 - anatomy of the ANS

Question 1

From the spinal cord, how do nerves emerge and get to sympathetic ganglion (trunk) ?

Answer 1

Nerves emerge from spinal cord and take the ventral root, pass through ventral ramus to white ramus communicans to the ganglion of the sympathetic trunk. There it can synapse within ganglion or sends fibres up and down to other ganglia

Question 2

What is the difference in the specificity of the responses brought about by the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems?

Answer 2

Parasympathetic - localised

Sympathetic - mass response

Question 3

Other than the dorsal and ventral horns, what other feature do parts of the thoracolumbar spinal cord have?

Answer 3

Lateral horns - where the sympathetic preganglionic fibres originate

Question 4

What is the difference between the White and Grey rami communicantes?

Answer 4

White - going into the sympathetic trunk

Grey - going out of the sympathetic trunk

Question 5

State the number of ganglia in each of the four regions.

Answer 5

Cervical = 3
Thoracic = 11/12
Lumbar = 4/5
Pelvic = 4/5

Question 6

Where do the splanchnic nerves arise and where do they go?

Answer 6

They originate in the thorax and move down to the abdomen through the diaphragm. You get the greater, lesser and least splanchnic nerves.

Question 7

State the levels of the sacral outflow and the nerves they go through.

Answer 7

S2-S4

Goes to pelvic viscera via pelvic splanchnic nerves

Question 8

What does the facial nerve (VII) innervate? State the ganglia of the facial nerve.

Answer 8

Facial muscles and two of the three salivary glands (submandibular and sublinguinal glands)
Ganglia: submandibular and pteropalatine

Question 9

What does the glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) innervate and where is its ganglion?

Answer 9

Innervates the third salivary gland - parotid gland

Ganglion = Otic ganglion

Question 10

What structure does the vagus nerve go through in the neck?

Answer 10

Carotid sheath - contains the carotid artery and internal jugular