autonomic nervous system
division of the peripheral nervous system
AI overview
The autonomic nervous system is the part of your nervous system that automatically controls vital functions like heart rate, digestion, and breathing without you having to think about them. It matters because it keeps your body running smoothly in the background, letting you focus on conscious tasks while it handles the essential work of keeping you alive.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Research
179,666 papers- Basics of autonomic nervous system function.Handbook of clinical neurology · 2019
- Clinical Assessment of the Autonomic Nervous System.Cardiac electrophysiology clinics · 2024
- Immune and autonomic nervous system interactions in multiple sclerosis: clinical implications.Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society · 2019
- THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.Progress in neurology and psychiatry · 1963
- The Critical Role of the Central Autonomic Nervous System in Fetal-Neonatal Transition.Seminars in pediatric neurology · 2018
via PubMed
Article
The autonomic nervous system (ANS), sometimes called the visceral nervous system and formerly the vegetative nervous system, is a division of the nervous system that operates internal organs, smooth muscle and glands. The autonomic nervous system is a control system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions, such as the heart rate, its force of contraction, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response, urination, and sexual arousal. The fight-or-flight response, also known as the acute stress response, is set into action by the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system is regulated by integrated reflexes through the brainstem to the spinal cord and organs. These functions include control of respiration, cardiac regulation, vasomotor activity, and certain reflex actions such as coughing, sneezing, swallowing and vomiting. Those are then subdivided into other areas and are also linked to autonomic subsystems and the peripheral nervous system. The hypothalamus, just above the brain stem, acts as an integrator for autonomic functions, receiving autonomic regulatory input from the limbic system.