Classification of the autonomic nervous system | Vegetative Nervous System

Classification of the autonomic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system is divided into three parts: The enteric nervous system consists of a network of nerves embedded between the individual layers of hollow organs. These include, among others: The digestive organs are once again an exception, since this nervous system works completely independently of the central nervous system and its mode of operation can be more or less modulated exclusively via the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is the part of the autonomic nervous system that boosts most systems and makes the body more attentive and efficient.

In English its main tasks are described as “fight and flight”. So it enables us to fight and/or escape. Some examples of reactions caused by the sympathetic nervous system are: The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the opposite processes.

This part of the vegetative nervous system is responsible for the body functions at rest. One describes its tasks as “rest and digest”. If the parasympathetic part of the nervous system predominates, the body is in a state of rest, one is able to recover and digest.

According to the examples given above, this means that although the tasks of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are so fundamentally different, their nerve fibers cannot be distinguished in the body with the naked eye. They both originate from the central nervous system and move to the organ muscles.

  • First of all there are the opponents sympathetic
  • And parasympathetic nervous system
  • And then there is the nervous system of the intestines, also called the enteric nervous system (ENS).
  • Heart,
  • Urinary bladder,
  • Gastrointestinal tract and the
  • Uterus.
  • Widening of the pupils (one can see better),
  • Fast and strong heartbeat (much blood must be pumped ?into the muscles to be able to run away if necessary or into the brain and to be able to think well),
  • Sweating,
  • Dilated airways (one should be able to breathe deeply to supply the blood with sufficient oxygen),
  • Shutting down the digestion (after all, there are more important things at the moment) and
  • Tension of the sphincter muscles (because at such moments it would be rather bad if the bladder contents emptied).
  • The pupils become narrow,
  • The heart beats slower and with less pressure,
  • The airways become narrower,
  • The digestion is stimulated and
  • Relax the sphincter muscles.
  • The only exception are the sweat glands, which are not affected by the parasympathetic nervous system.

All articles in this series:

  1. Vegetative Nervous System
  2. Classification of the autonomic nervous system