Autonomic Nervous System

  • autonomic nervous system

    • sympathetic nervous system

    • parasympathetic nervous system

  • both motor and sensory

  • how differ anatomy preganglionic postganlionic and distribution body


  • visceral motorneurons located outside the CNS

  • effects are diffuse, wide-spread or coordinated


  • paraverabral ganglion

  • ganglion parasympathetic further away → terminal ganglion


  • sympathetic torasic and lumbar

  • parasymapthetic sacral and cranial (3 7 9 10)


  • sympathetic asteocoline → norepinephrine

    • exception sweat glands and adrenal medulla (releases noradrinaline)

  • parasympathetic (no exception) pre and post ganglion asteocoline


  • typically organs inervaded by both systems


  • visceral sensory systems (body feelings) → typically vagus nerve

  • ultimate target brainstem nucleus of the solitary tract → autonomic reflexes

  • pain of an organ is not felt in the organ but referred to the skin bc follow same route (e.g. heart attack being felt in the arm) → information mix up


  • anterior pituitary vascular system receives prehormones and neurotransmitters which are transmorted into and then release hormones

  • posterior immediate innervation hypothalamus releases hormones

  • different hormones different function often prehormones (not actual endproduct)

  • hypothalamus able to influence large (second way to regulate)


  • hormonal - pituitary → hypothalamus

  • visceromotor → ans

  • somatomotor → behavioural response