Question

Give the functions of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS); name the two main divisions of the ANS & list the functions of each division.

Answer 1

Functions of autonomic nervous system -  The autonomic nervous system is involved in the regulating the visceral functions of the body system. ANS control these functions by their functional unit named as visceral reflexes .The visceral reflex consist of components such as receptor organ,afferent pathway, central component ,efferent pathway and effector organ.Thus, it helps in controlling movement of muscles in gut, blood pressure, urinary sphincter contraction and relaxation and mainatin the body temperature.

Two main division of autonomic nervous system -sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system causes the fight-flight -freeze response in order to maintain homeostatsis homeodynamics. In response to that heart rate and the force of contraction of the cardiac muscle occurs. It also causes vasoconstriction.In addition, it affects the lung as well, causing bronchodilation and in gastrointestinal tract ,decreases the motility causes contractility of sphincter and lowers the gastric secretion.

The parasympathetic nervous system causes the calmness and composness of body and restore the normal balance of the body system. In order to calm the body ,it acts on heart to decreases the heart rate and force of contraction of cardiac muscles.It causes bronchoconstriction in the lung and increases the motility in gastrointestinal tract thus relaxes the sphincter to produce the gastric secretions.