Autonomic Nervous system Flashcards
(19 cards)
What are the functional divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
somatic and autonomic
What are the anatomical divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
How does the somatic pathway work?
1 neuron; cell body is in a nucleus of brainstem/spinal cord, its axon leaves in a spinal/cranial nerve and innervates muscles
How does the autonomic pathway work?
2 neurons; cell body is in a nucleus of brainstem/spinal cord, its axon leaves and goes to a ganglion where it meets second neuron, that neuron’s axon leaves the ganglion and innervates muscle
What are the divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric
What does the sympathetic division control?
body walls and limbs (blood vessels, sweat glands, arrector pili muscles)
What does the parasympathetic division control?
the head and body cavities
What are the effects of the sympathetic division?
increased HR, Increased BP, redistribute blood to the heart, brain, and skeletal muscle, stall GI tract
What are the effects of the parasympathetic division?
slows HR, increases activity of GI tract
Where are the preganglionic cell bodies of the autonomic system?
spinal chord gray matter from T1 to L2 (intermediolateral cell column or lateral horn)
Where are the post ganglionic cell bodies?
The ganglia of the sympathetic division form 2 chains on either side of vertebral column; 3 cervical, 10-11 thoracic, 3-5 lumbar, 3-5 sacral, 1 coccygeal ganglion (ganglion impar)
What are the preganglionic sympathetic neurons referred to?
thoracolumbar outflow or division
What are the preganglioinic parasympathetic neurons referred to?
craniosacral outflow or division
Where are the cell bodies of the parasympathetic preganglionic neurons?
in the brainstem nuclei of cranial nerves 3, 7, 9, and 10 and spinal cord gray matter S2 to S4
The autonomic system uses acetylcholine neurotransmitters except for the sympathetic postganglionic system which uses what?
norepinephrine
Where are white communicating rami found?
T1-L2 spinal nerves
What do splanchnic nerves innervate?
structures in the abdomen and pelvis
which parasympathetic fibers innervate targets in the head?
CN 3, 7, and 9
What does the pelvic splanchnic nerve innervate?
abdominal and pelvic organs not innervated by the vagus nerve
