Visceral Sensation and conscious awareness

Higher brain areas Skeletal muscle

Somatic sensation
(Cerebral cortex) response

Brainstem visceral sensory areas

Visceral sensation Homeostatic reflex
(Dorsal Vagal nucleus)

Department of Anatomy and Physiology

Micturition – control of bladder emptying
Co-ordinated control of smooth muscle and skeletal
muscle
• Detrusor muscle
• Smooth muscle that surrounds the urinary
bladder
- Contraction pushes urine out of the bladder
• Internal urethral sphincter
• Smooth muscle that surrounds urethra
- Prevent leakage from the bladder
• External urethral sphincter
• Skeletal muscle that surrounds the urethra
- Allows voluntary control of voiding

Question: Are you aware of the how much urine is

stored in the bladder at any time – or only when
voiding is required?
Department of Anatomy and Physiology
Vomiting – how much conscious control do
you have?
Conscious
control centre

Visceral sensory areas

of brain stem

Department of Anatomy and Physiology

Vomiting is a sequence of programmed
muscle activity

Purpose of vomiting (physiologically)

• Remove ingested poisons from the body
• Prevent infection via food

Is vomiting “homeostatic”?
Are we aware of the content of the
stomach?
Are we aware of the volume of the content
of the stomach?
Is the lumen of the stomach inside or
outside the body?

Department of Anatomy and Physiology