Always in motion is the future.

Week 7: Neural

Autonomic Nervous System

The ANS controls visceral functions, including arterial pressure, gastrointestinal motility and secretions, urinary bladder emptying, sweating, body temperature, etc.

There are two major subdivisions, which control various organs and systems, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic system stimulates the adrenal medulla, which releases epinephrine and norepinephrine into the circulation to reach the tissues. These hormones have the same effect as sympathetic stimulation but last longer.

Autonomic Effects on Various Organs

Organ	Sympathetic Stimulation	Parasympathetic Stimulation
Eye Pupil	Dilated	Constricted
Sweat Glands	Copious sweating	sweating on palms of hands
Heart Rate	increase	decrease
Heart Contraction	increased force	decreased force
GI Tract
lumen	decrease peristalsis and tone	increase peristalsis and tone
sphincters	increase tone	relaxed
Liver	glucose release	slight glycogen synthesis
Systemic Arterioles
abdominal viscera	constricted	none
muscle	various, mostly constricted	none
Blood
glucose	increase	none
lipids	increase	none
Metabolic Rate	increase	none
Mental Activity	increase	none
Adrenal Medullary Secretion	increase	none