These are some of the effects of parasympathetic nervous activity. My heart rate was comparatively slower and my digestive system was processing the cream and sugar in my coffee. Meanwhile, as we waited for Joe's early morning arrival, the events occurring in my body were quite different. These are some of the effects of sympathetic nervous activity in Joe's body. His heart began racing, his blood pressure increased, his pupils dilated, he began sweating, the hair on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end, and he felt a surge of adrenaline. I now ask the class “What happened to Joe?” Several events occurred in his body at once. Upon opening our window, we cheerfully wished our friend a “Happy Halloween!” Although Joe's response to our holiday greeting cannot be published in this article, suffice it to say that the students always enjoy it immensely. Poor Joe stood by his truck wide-eyed and clutching his chest. When he opened the truck door, the sound of “Aghhhh!!!” shattered the quiet of the morning. Completely unsuspecting, Joe came walking down the driveway at his usual time. Halloween morning, we arose at 4:45 am, poured coffee, and waited patiently by the window located nearest to Joe's truck. On Halloween Eve, we placed Matilda in the driver's seat of Joe's pickup truck. Joe leaves for work at 5:00 am when it is still quite dark outside. Interestingly, the ANS is discussed in this Human Physiology course in mid to late October (ie, around Halloween time). The regulation of blood pressure, gastrointestinal responses to food, contraction of the urinary bladder, focusing of the eyes, and thermoregulation are just a few of the many homeostatic functions regulated by the ANS.Īt this point in the class discussion, we take a break from our traditional classroom format for a story about my next door neighbor, Joe, and my skeleton, Matilda. Therefore, the ANS makes a significant contribution to homeostasis. Because it innervates cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, and various endocrine and exocrine glands, this nervous system influences the activity of most tissues and organ systems in the body. The students are in the first professional year of a doctor of pharmacy program.Īlso known as the visceral or involuntary nervous system, the ANS functions without conscious, voluntary control. The lectures typically include 300-325 students, although the recitation sections are much smaller with 20-30 students. The ANS and the accompanying case studies are discussed over 5 lectures and 2 recitation sections during a 2-semester course in Human Physiology. Although this manuscript focuses primarily on the basic anatomy and physiology of the ANS, references to diseases and medications involving the ANS are included to illustrate the application of this system to the practice of pharmacy. Furthermore, this system may play a role in many systemic diseases (eg, heart failure) and drugs that affect this system may improve (eg, β 2-adrenergic agonists and asthma) or exacerbate (eg, α 1-adrenergic agonists and hypertension) various disease symptoms and processes. The ANS plays a crucial role in the maintenance of homeostasis. A thorough knowledge of this system is quite important as it prepares the pharmacy student for further studies in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and therapeutics. Nursing Times 118: 8.Īuthors: Zubeyde Bayram-Weston is senior lecturer in biomedical science Maria Andrade-Sienz is honorary associate professor in biomedical science John Knight is associate professor in biomedical science all at the College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University.This manuscript presents a detailed review of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.Ĭitation: Bayram-Weston Z et al (2022) Nervous system 6: the autonomic nervous system â anatomy and function. It regulates involuntary processes including heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, body temperature, digestive processes and urinary functions. This article â the sixth in a series about the nervous system â discusses the function of the autonomic nervous system, which is a component of the peripheral nervous system. This article discusses the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for involuntary reactions such as heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. This is a Self-assessment article and comes with a self-assessment test.
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