Physiology of autonomic

nervous system
 Comparison of Somatic and
Autonomic Nervous System
Somatic Autonomic
 Skeletal muscle  Smooth and cardiac muscle
 Conscious and
and glands
 Unconscious regulation
unconscious movement
 Skeletal muscle
 Target tissues stimulated or
contracts inhibited
 One synapse  Two synapses
 Acetylcholine  Acetycholine by
preganglionic neurons and
ACh or norepinephrine by
postganglionic neurons
 Autonomic nervous system

 Chain of two motor neurons

 Preganglionic neuron
 Postganglionic neuron
 Conduction is slower due to thinly or
unmyelinated axons

Pre-ganglionic Post-ganglionic

Ganglion
 Comparison of ANS & PNS

Compare the one motor neuron of the somatic

motor division with the two neuron chain of the
autonomic nervous system Figure 15.2
Somatic and Autonomic Nervous System
 Divisions of ANS
 There are two division of the ANS
 Parasympathetic
 Sympathetic
 Metasympathetic
 Generally the two divisions have chains of two
motor neurons that innervate same visceral organs
but cause essentially opposite effects
 If one division stimulates certain smooth muscle
to contract or a gland to secrete, the other division
inhibits that action
 Through this process of duel innervation the two
systems counterbalance each other
 Divisions of ANS
 Both the sympathetic
and parasympathetic
divisions issue from
the brain and spinal
cord
 Two neuron pathways
are shown for both
divisions
 Solid lines indicate
pre-ganglionic axons
while broken lines
indicate post-
ganglionic axons
 Where they come from

Parasympathetic: Sympathetic:
craniosacral thoracolumbar
 Sympathetic
ACh

Nicotine +
N

Tyramine, NE
+
Ephedrine αβ
amphetamine
 Divisions of the Autonomic
Nervous System
 Sympathetic – “fight, flight, or fright”
 Activated during exercise,

excitement, and emergencies

 Parasympathetic – “rest and digest”

 Concerned with conserving energy

Functions of the Autonomic
Nervous System

 Sympathetic activities
 “E situations”

 Exercise

 Emergency

 Excitement

 Embarrassment
 Functions of the Autonomic
Nervous System

 Parasympathetic activities SLUDD

 Stimulated by:
 Quiet periods

 Paradoxical fear

 Produces “rest-and-digest” response

 Supports body functions that conserve and restore

body energy
 Reduce body functions that support physical activity
 Function of the Sympathetic Nerve
 Sympathetic nervous system prototypically
“fight” or “flight”.
 Associated with increased
 energy expenditure,
 cardiopulmonary adjustments for intense
activity,
 blood flow adjustments for maximum energy
expenditure.
 SNS - Fight & Flight Reaction
You’re walking alone at night and all the sudden you hear
an unfamiliar noise near by… In a matter of seconds,
 your heart rate increases dramatically,

 blood vessels in your skeletal muscles dilate,

 blood vessels in the visceral muscles constrict,

 digestion is ceased,

 your liver ramps up glucose release,

 your pupils dilate,

 salivary production decreases,

 sweat increases.
Sympathetic

Preganglionic
cell bodies in
lateral horns
of spinal cord
T1-L2
 Sympathetic Trunk Ganglia
 Located on both sides of the vertebral
column
 Linked by short nerves into sympathetic

trunks
 Joined to ventral rami by white and gray

rami communicantes
 Fusion of ganglia  fewer ganglia than

spinal nerves
Sympathetic Pathways to
Periphery

Figure 15.9
Sympathetic Pathways to the
Head

Figure 15.10
Sympathetic Pathways to Thoracic
Organs

Figure 15.11
 Parasympathetic Nervous
System
 If that noise turns out to be the
result of wind, then the body is
returned to “pre-noise” state.
 This is the job of the

parasympathetic nervous system.

 Autonomic Nervous System
• Parasympathicus • Sympathicus
• Wind down, relaxation, • Fight & Flight Reaction
digestion • Dominated by
• Dominated by Noradrenaline
Acetylcholine (Adrenaline)
• Fear, exercise, rage
 Different Lengths of their
Fibers
 Sympathetic is the opposite
with short preganglionic and
long postganglionic fibers
Parasympathetic division has
long preganglionic and short
postganglionic fibers
Anatomical Differences in Sympathetic
and Parasympathetic Divisions

Figure 15.4a
 Divisions of ANS
 Therefore, all
sympathetic
ganglia lie near
the spinal cord
and vertebral
column, and all
parasympathetic
ganglia lie far
from the CNS, in
or near the organs
innervated
Parasympathetic
 Parasympathetic Division

 The parasympathetic division is most effective in

non-stressful situations
 This division is chiefly concerned with keeping
body energy use as low as possible, even as it
directs body processes such as digestion and
elimination
 Resting and digesting division
 Parasympathetic

ACh
Nicotine
+ N
Black widow
Spider venom ACh
+
M
Parasympathetic Nervous System:
Sacral Outflow
 Emerges from S2-S4
 Innervates organs of the pelvis and lower
abdomen
 Preganglionic cell bodies
 Located in visceral motor region of

spinal gray matter

 Form splanchnic nerves
 Sacral Outflow
 The sacral outflow
arises from neurons
located in the lateral
horn of the spinal
cord at S2 - S4
 The axons of these
neurons run in the
ventral roots of the
spinal nerves to the
ventral rami
 Sacral Outflow

 From the ventral rami

the neurons branch to
form the pelvic
splanchnic nerves
 Most neurons synapse
in the intramural
ganglia located in the
walls of the distal
large intestine, urinary
bladder and
reproductive organs
Neurotransmitters and Neuroreceptors
 Acetylcholine and Norepinephrine
 All preganglionic neurons are cholinergic
 Parasympathetic post ganglionic neurons are
cholinergic
 Sympathetic post ganglionic neurons are
adrenergic except
 Sympathetics innervating sweat glands, blood
vessels in skeletal muscle, and piloerection
muscles are cholinergic
 Cholinergic Receptors

 The two types of receptors that

bind ACh are nicotinic and
muscarinic
 These are named after drugs that

bind to them and mimic ACh

effects
 Acetylcholine
 Nicotinic receptors
 Nm (muscular-type or N ): skeletal muscle
2

 Nn (neuron-type, or N1): autonomic ganglia,

CNS
 Muscarinic receptors
 Postganglionic parasympathetic and a few

sympathetic sites, CNS (also autonomic gang.)

 Receptor subtypes: M
1-5
 Thank you!