Autonomic & Peripheral Nervous System

Question 1

What division of the PNS is the Autonomic Nervous System a part of and what control do we have over it?

Answer 1

Visceral motor of PNS; Under involuntary control

Question 2

How are visceral motor neurons structured?

Answer 2

Two motor neurons run b/w the spinal cord and target tissue. The preganglionic and post ganglionic neurons synapse within an autonomic ganglion.

Question 3

What are the 2 divisions of the ANS? What are the functions?

Answer 3

Parasympathetic (Rest & Digest) and Sympathetic (Fight or Flight)

Question 4

Where does the parasympathetic division come out of?

Answer 4

Exits from spinal cord and sacral spinal nerves

Question 5

Where does the sympathetic division come out of?

Answer 5

Exits from thoracic and lumbar regions (widespread)

Question 6

What NT are released in the sympathetic pathway? Where?

Answer 6

ACh: synapse with autonomic ganglion
Norepinephrine: synapse b/w postganglionic axon and tissue

Question 7

What NT are released in the parasympathetic pathway?

Answer 7

ACh

Question 8

What are the characteristics of the ganglion in the Parasympathetic pathway?

Answer 8

Preganglionic axon= Long

Postganglionic axon= Short

Question 9

Where is the autonomic ganglion in the parasympathetic pathway?

Answer 9

Near or within target tissue

Question 10

What cranial Nerve is important in the parasympathetic pathway? Why?

Answer 10

The Vagus nerve is important in brining about the typical rest and digest activities in visceral muscle and glands

Question 11

What are the characteristics of the ganglion in the sympathetic pathway?

Answer 11

Preganglionic axon= Short

Postganglionic axon= Long

Question 12

Where is the autonomic ganglion in the sympathetic pathway?

Answer 12

Near spinal cord

Question 13

What is the sympathetic trunk ganglia?

Answer 13

Expansions of sympathetic trunk where pre- and postganglionic neurons synapse

Question 14

What is the sympathetic trunk?

Answer 14

Runs parallel to spinal cord; pathway for neurons of sympathetic division

Question 15

What does the Adrenal Medualla do? Where is it found?

Answer 15

Sits on top of both kidneys; Specialized sympathetic ganglion that contain norepinephrine and epinephrine that produce widespread excitatory responses.

Question 16

Which structures of the PNS allow it to communicate with the CNS?

Answer 16

Spinal nerves and cranial nerves

Question 17

How many pairs of spinal nerves are there? Where are they found?

Answer 17

31 total pairs

• 8 cervical
• 12 thoracic
• 5 lumbar
• 5 scaral
• 1 coccygeal

Question 18

What is a dermatome?

Answer 18

Map showing the relationship b/w sensory receptors of the skin and the spinal nerves

Question 19

Where does damage occur in a paraplegia? What is the result?

Answer 19

B/w T1 & L2; Loss of feeling/motor functions of legs

Question 20

Where does damage occur in a quadriplegia? What is the result?

Answer 20

Damage above T1; Loss of feeling/motor functions of all 4 limbs

Question 21

What are the classifications of sensory receptors?

Answer 21

Mechanoreceptors, Thermoreceptors, Chemoreceptors, Photoreceptors, Nociceptors

Question 22

What is a Meissner’s Corpuscle? Where is it located?

Answer 22

Mechanoreceptor that responds to light touch; Located in dermal papillae of hairless skin

Question 23

What is a Pacinian Corpuscle? Where is it located?

Answer 23

Mechanoreceptor that responds to deep pressure; Located in dermis and hypodermis

Question 24

What are Ruffini endings? Where are they located?

Answer 24

Mechanoreceptors that adapt slowly so they are able to monitor continuous pressure; Located in dermis and hypodermis

Question 25

What is a proprioceptor? Why are they important?

Answer 25

Mechanoreceptors that are encapsulated nerve endings that monitor stretch in their locomotory organs; Cerebellum uses information to determine where are body parts are in space

Question 26

What is a root hair plexus?

Answer 26

Mechanoreceptor that wraps around the hair follicle to respond to movement of the hair

Question 27

What is a nociceptor? What kind of stimulus does it respond too?

Answer 27

Free nerve ending that responds to mechanical, thermal, or chemical stimuli; Pain is the emotional way our brain interprets the stimulus

Question 28

How is an itch receptor different from a nonciceptor?

Answer 28

Pain elicits a withdrawal reflex, itch elicits a scratch reflex

Question 29

What does an itch receptor respond too?

Answer 29

Inflammatory chemicals

Question 30

What are the broad steps of the gustatory pathway?

Answer 30

Chemoreceptor of taste bud --> spinal cord --> thalamus --> gustatory cortex in insula

Question 31

What do the spinal nerves split into?

Answer 31

Dorsal Ramus and Ventral Ramus

Question 32

What is a plexus? What are they made of? What are the different nerve plexuses?

Answer 32

A plexus is a network of nerves that supply specefic regions of the body; Made of ventral rami of all spinal nerves except thoracic region; Cervical, Brachial, Lumbar, Sacral

Question 33

What is the cervical plexus? What would damage here cause?

Answer 33

Innervated back of neck and diaphragm; Damage can impair breathing

Question 34

What is the Brachial plexus?

Answer 34

Innervated upper limbs

Question 35

What is the Lumbar plexus?

Answer 35

Innervates anterior region of lower limb

Question 36

What is the Sacral plexus?

Answer 36

Innervated posterior region of lower limbs

Question 37

What is the sciatic nerve formed from?

Answer 37

Sacral plexus

Question 38

What does polio do to the body? What is postpolio syndrome?

Answer 38

Virus that targets motor neurons; Surviving neurons extend axonal branches to muscle missing innervation, but these neurons are exerted and lose function