Peripheral Nervous System: Autonomic v.s. Somatic

Autonomic NS is __________ and Somatic NS is __________

involuntary; voluntary

Autonomic NS regulates the ____________________ such as the heart, stomach, lungs and intestines

functions of our internal organs

Autonomic NS is a part of the PNS and it also ______________________________

controls some of the muscles within the body

Autonomic NS regulates involuntary responses. For example, __________________________________________________

we do not notice when blood vessels change size or our heard beats faster

Somatic NS regulates __________

voluntary movements

Somatic NS is part of the peripheral nervous system, ____________________________________________________________ such as those found in the skeletal muscles

connects the brain to the motor neurons

Somatic NS is the system we are in control and we use it when we want to make our ____________________

muscles move

Autonomic Nervous System: Chain of 2 motor neurons

• Preganglionic neuron is in the CNS

• Preganglionic axon eaves the CNS to synapse with a second motor neuron outside the CNS (postganglionic neuron)

• Postganglionic axon extends to the organ it serves

Somatic Nervous System: One motor neuron

• Cells body in the CNS

• Axon extends all the way to the skeletal muscle