CH.

15

AUTONOMIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
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UNIT OUTLINE:
I. INTRODUCTION
i. General Functions of Autonomic Nervous System
II. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION
i. ANS Divisions
ii. Parasympathetic vs Sympathetic Structure
III. STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
i. ANS Divisions
ii. Neurotransmitters
IV. HOMEOSTASIS & INTEGRATION
i. Autonomic Tone
ii. Dual Innervation
V. CLINICAL
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I. INTRODUCTION:
Autonomic system
• System of nerves mediating involuntary actions
• Regulates body organ activity
• Functions to maintain homeostasis
• constant internal environment
• Regulates:
• heart rate and blood pressure
• respiratory rate, sweating, and digestion
• Keeps these variables within optimal ranges
• Divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions
• Allows for varied nervous system responses in times of stress and rest

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II. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION
General Topics –
i. Divisions of Nervous System
i. Somatic
ii. Autonomic Divisions
ii. Parasympathetic vs Sympathetic Structure

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 II. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION
Somatic nervous system (SNS)
• Includes processes perceived or
controlled consciously
• Somatic sensory portion
• detects stimuli from special
senses, skin, and proprioceptors
• sends information to CNS
• Somatic motor portion
• transmits nerve signals from
CNS to control skeletal muscles
• Single lower motor neuron
extending from CNS to target
Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
• Includes processes regulated below
conscious level
• Visceral sensory portion
• detects stimuli from blood
vessels and internal organs
• Autonomic motor portion (visceral
motor)
• transmits nerve signals to cardiac
muscle, smooth muscle, and
glands
• Chain of two motor neurons
connecting CNS to target
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II. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION

ANS VS SNS

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II. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION Autonomic Nervous System

Autonomic
ganglion

Preganglionic autonomic motor neuron

transmits nerve signals to a ganglionic
motor neuron.

Ganglionic autonomic
motor neuron transmits
nerve signals to smooth
muscle, cardiac muscle, Visceral sensory
and glands. neuron detects
stimuli within blood
vessels and smooth
muscle in the
viscera.

Smooth muscle
in trachea

Sensory receptor
in viscera

(b)
II. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION

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Parasympathetic Division Sympathetic Division

Short, branching
Ganglionic Short preganglionic axon
Preganglionic neuron postganglionic Long postganglionic axon
neuron Long preganglionic axon axon Preganglionic
neuron

Ganglionic neuron
Autonomic ganglion
(close to or within effector organ wall) Autonomic ganglion
(close to the vertebral column)

(a) (b)
Parasympathetic Sympathetic
Long pre-ganglionic Short pre-ganglionic & long post-
& short post-ganglionic fibers. ganglionic fibers.

ACh at both pre- and post-ganglionic ACh at the pre-ganglionic synapse

synapses. NE at the post-ganglionic synapse.

“Rest and Digest”system. “Flight or Fight” system.

II. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Preganglionic
Ciliary ganglion Postganglionic

Lacrimal gland

Pterygopalatine
ganglion Parotid salivary gland
CN III

Parasympathetic
Submandibular salivary gland

Sublingual salivary gland

CN VII Submandibular ganglion

CN IX Otic ganglion
Pons

Heart
CN X
Cardiac plexus

Trachea
Pulmonary plexus

Esophageal plexus

Lung

Esophagus
Abdominal aortic Liver
plexus Gallbladder
Stomach
Spleen
Spinal cord Kidney
Ureter

Pancreas

Small intestine
Hypogastric plexus
Testis Ovary Descending colon

Rectum
S2
S3
S4

Bladder
Pelvic splanchnic nerves

Penis

Uterus
Vagina
 Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

II. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION

Sympathetic

White ramus

Gray ramus

Cardiac plexus
(parasympathetic
axons of plexus
not shown)

Heart

(b) Postganglionic sympathetic nerve pathway

 II. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION

Involvement of CNS Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Cerebrum Conscious activities in the

cerebrum affect hypothalamus
control of the ANS

Hypothalamus Integration and command center

for autonomic functions; involved
ANS is a regulated nervous in emotions
system, not independent
Influenced by four CNS regions:
Brainstem Contains major ANS reflex
cerebrum, hypothalamus, centers
brainstem, and spinal cord
Cerebrum
ANS affected by conscious Spinal cord Contains ANS reflex centers for
defecation and urination
activities here
III. STRUCTURE & FUNCTION

General Topics –
i. ANS Divisions Structure
ii. Neurotransmitters

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 III. STRUCTURE & FUNCTION

Parasympathetic activation Sympathetic activation

• Local response • Usually many structures activated
• Due to long preganglionic neurons with simultaneously
limited branches • termed mass activation
• sometimes only single effector
activated
• Due to short preganglionic neurons with
many branches & adrenal medulla
releasing Epi/NE
• Especially important in response to stress
• e.g., multiple changes during
exercising
• increased heart rate, blood pressure,
breathing rate, pupil dilation, etc.
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III. STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
Acetylcholine
• Synthesized and released by cholinergic neurons
• all sympathetic and parasympathetic preganglionic neurons
• all parasympathetic ganglionic neurons
• neurons innervating sweat glands and blood vessels of skeletal muscle
• Bound by cholinergic receptors (two types)
Nicotinic receptors
• Category of cholinergic receptor
• Sensitive to the drug nicotine
• Found on all ganglionic neurons and adrenal medulla
• Ligand–gated Ion Channel
• When bound:
• open ion channels
• greater movement of Na+ into cell than K+
out of cell
• excitatory postsynaptic potential produced
• always produces a stimulatory response
Muscarinic receptors
• Other category of cholinergic receptor
• Responsive to muscarine, a mushroom toxin
• GPCR
• Found in:
• all target membranes in parasympathetic division
• selected sympathetic cells
• e.g., sweat glands in skin, blood vessels in skeletal
muscle
• Different subtypes with different effects
• either stimulated or inhibited by binding ACh
• e.g., binding of ACh in GI tract
• results in stimulation and increased motility
• binding on cardiac muscle
• decreases heartbeat rate
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III. STRUCTURE & FUNCTION

Norepinephrine
• Bound by adrenergic receptors
• Synthesized and released by adrenergic neurons
• most other sympathetic ganglionic neurons
• form network of swellings at target organ
• termed varicosities
• contain stored NE
• NE released along length of axon

Typically
Stimulatory

Typically
Inhibitory

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 Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
III. STRUCTURE & FUNCTION Parasympathetic Pathway Sympathetic Pathways

Preganglionic axon
releases ACh.

ACh ACh ACh

Ganglionic neuron
cell body and Nicotinic Nicotinic Nicotinic
dendrites always receptors receptors receptors
contain receptors
for ACh.
Postganglionic axon
releases ACh or NE.
ACh ACh NE

Muscarinic Muscarinic Adrenergic

receptors receptors receptors
Target cells contain
either ACh receptors Target cell
(bind ACh) or NE Target cell (e.g., sweat glands and Target cell
receptors (bind NE). blood vessels in skeletal (e.g., most other
muscle) body structures)
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IV. HOMEOSTASIS & INTEGRATION

General Topics –
i. Autonomic Tone
ii. Dual Innervation
iii. Clinical

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 IV. HOMEOSTASIS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
Parasympathetic Sympathetic

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 IV. HOMEOSTASIS

DUAL INNERVATION
Antagonistic Effects
• Parasympathetic and sympathetic effects usually antagonistic
• E.g., control of heart rate
• parasympathetic stimulation slowing heart rate
• sympathetic stimulation increasing heart rate
• same cells with both muscarinic and adrenergic receptors
• E.g., control of muscular activity in GI tract
• parasympathetic stimulation accelerating rate of contraction and motility
• sympathetic stimulation decreasing motility
• same cells with both types of receptors
• E.g., control of pupil diameter in the eye
• parasympathetic stimulation of circular muscle layer of iris
• causes pupil constriction
• sympathetic stimulation of radial muscle layer of iris
• causes pupil dilation
• different effectors innervated

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 IV. HOMEOSTASIS

SYSTEMS CONTROLLED ONLY BY SYMPATHETIC DIVISION

Opposing effects without dual innervation

• E.g., blood vessels innervated by sympathetic axons only
• cause increased smooth muscle contraction and blood pressure
• vasodilation achieved by decreasing stimulation below
autonomic tone
• E.g., sweat glands in the trunk and arrector pili muscles in the
skin
• cause sweating and“goosebumps”
• E.g., neurosecretory cells of adrenal medulla
• release epinephrine and norepinephrine, prolonging fight-or-
flight effects

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 IV. HOMEOSTASIS

Clinical View: Autonomic Dysreflexia

• Causes blood pressure to rise profoundly
• Stimulates a sympathetic reflex
• causes systemic vasoconstriction
• marked increase in blood pressure
• Caused by hyperactivity of ANS after a spinal cord injury
• Initial response to injury is spinal shock, with loss of autonomic reflexes
• Abnormal response to lack of innervation, denervation hypersensitivity
• e.g., involuntary relaxation of internal urethral sphincter
• due to spinal cord reflex

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