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Flashcards in Autonomic Nervous System Deck (21)
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1
Q

What are the 2 main divisions of the nervous system?

A

Central nervous system

Peripheral nervous system

2
Q

What are the 2 main divisions of the peripheral nervous system?

A

Afferent (sensory) nerves

Efferent (motor) nerves

3
Q

What are the 2 divisions of the efferent (motor) nervous system?

A

Somatic (voluntary) nervous system

Autonomic (involuntary) nervous system

4
Q

What are the 2 divisions of the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system?

A

Parasympathetic nervous system

Sympathetic nervous system

5
Q

What areas of the spinal column do sympathetic nerves emerge from?

A

Throracolumbar outflow

6
Q

For sympathetic nerves, how does the length of preganglionic and postganglionic fibres compare?

A

Short preganglionic and long postganglionic fibres

7
Q

Where are sympathetic ganglia located?

A

Prevertebral ganglia

Paravertebral ganglia

8
Q

In the sympathetic nervous system, the synapses between pre and post-ganglionic cells are what?

A

Cholinergic and nicotinic

9
Q

In the parasympathetic nervous system, the synapses between pre and post-ganglionic cells are what?

A

Cholinergic and nicotinic

10
Q

In the parasympathetic nervous system, the fibres between post-ganglionic cells and targets are what?

A

Cholinergic and muscarinic

11
Q

What do post-ganglionic cells in the adrenal medulla release?

A

Adrenaline

12
Q

What do post-ganglionic fibres in the adrenal medullar contribute to?

A

Mass activation, being part of the sympathetic nervous system and releasing adrenaline

13
Q

What receptors do adrenaline and noradrenaline act on?

A

Adrenergic receptors

Alpha receptors

Beta receptors

14
Q
A
15
Q

What kinds of receptors does acetycholine act on?

A

Nicotinic and muscarinic receptors

16
Q

In the eye, what does sympathetic activation cause?

A

Contraction of the radial muscle of the iris (pupil dilates)

Relaxation of the ciliary muscle surrounding the lens (eye focuses further away)

17
Q

What do eye drops used to dilate the pupil often contain?

A

Muscarinic antagonist

Alpha 1 agonist

18
Q

What does the parasympathetic system cause in the heart?

A

Release of acetylcholine

Decrease in heart rate

19
Q

In blood vessels, what does the sympathetic system cause?

A

Vasocontriction, but causes vasodilation in some that express B2 receptors

20
Q

In the lung, what does activation of the sympathetic nervous system cause?

A

Relaxation of smooth muscle

21
Q

What are some clinical applications of understanding the receptors within the ANS?

A

Side effects and contraindications of drugs affecting ANS should be predictable

Autonomic neuropathy may be the cause of syncope, bladder problems, bowel problems etc

Diagnosis and progress of disease can be monitored by tests of autonomic function, such as cardiovascular response to deep breathing, Valsalva manoeuvre and tilt test