Question

The Autonomic Nervous System can be challenging to understand because it is connected to virtually every body function in opposite ways. We are going to explore the physiology of the ANS in this discussion by looking at specific examples of how it works.

For your first discussion post, describe how the parasympathetic nervous system influences one function in your body. For example, the parasympathetic nervous system causes decreased blood pressure. If you chose this body function, you would describe the physiology behind the decreased blood pressure. How does it happen? What occurs in the heart/blood vessels? Which scenarios or external factors would cause the parasympathetic nervous system to activate this response?

Answer 1

Autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts

1- sympathetic

2- parasympathetic

Function of the parasympathetic nervous system-

The parasmpathetic and sympathetic nervous systems are collectively known as the autonomic nervous system.

This division of the nervous system regulates bodily actions that happen without conscious thought.

The parasympathetic works in conjunction with the sympathetic in order to maintain homeostasis in the body

for example, during afight or flight reponse, the sympathetic nervous system increase heart rate and blood pressure

The parasympathetic nervous system include sexual arousal, salivation, lacrimation, urination,digestion and defecation .

The parasympathetic nervous system primarily uses acetylcholine as its neurotransmitter.

Parasympathetic nervous system is control heart rate. Activation from the central nervous system of vagal preganglopnic nerves via nicotinic receptors, activate the vagal postganglionic nerve . The subsequent release of acetylcholine stimulates the muscarinic receptors,which in turn activate NO synthase through guanylate cyclase to inhibit the L-type calcium channel The M2 receptor can indirectly activate to slow the sinus rate. Additionally, M2 receptors on the presynaptic sympathetic nerve terminal will inhibit norepinephrine release.