Autonomics I

Dr. Gloria Roque

The Autonomic Nervous System
Organization of Nervous System
in Man
Central Nervous System
Brain
Spinal
Peripheral Nervous System
Somatic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
 4 Types of Nerve Fibers

Somatic afferents
Somatic efferents
Brain Cranial Nerves
Visceral afferents
Visceral efferents
Somatic afferents
Somatic efferents
Spinal Cord. Spinal Nerves
Visceral afferents
Visceral efferents

All somatic fibers from brain and spinal cord SNS

All visceral fibers from brain and spinal cord ANS

The Autonomic Nervous System
Differences Between Somatic and
Autonomic Nervous System
Somatic Nervous System
Fibers do not synapse once they have left the central
nervous system
Innervates skeletal muscle
Always leads to excitation of the muscle
Autonomic Nervous System
Fibers synapse once in ganglia after they have left the
central nervous system
Innervates smooth or cardiac muscle or gland cells
Can lead to excitation or inhibition of the effector cells
Summary of Differences Between
SNS and ANS
Parts of Differences SNS ANS
1. Efferent pathway 1 neuron pathway 2 neuron pathway

CNS CNS

2. Effector/s Skeletal muscle Smooth Muscle

Cardiac Muscle
Glands/Organs
3. Effect of effective stimulation Always excitation of skeletal Excitation or inhibition of
muscle effector
4. Sites of Inhibition of impulse - CNS - CNS
- neuroeffector junction - Ganglion
- Neuroeffector junction
5. Function For locomotion Regulates visceral functions
The Autonomic Nervous System
Subdivisions of ANS:
Sympathetic NS
Parasympathetic NS
Differences between SYMP. &
PARA. NS
Anatomical
Biochemical
Physiological
Pharmacological
 Anatomical Differences Between
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
Divisions of the ANS
SYMPATHETIC
DIVISION
(a) Origin of preganglionic Spinal nerves T1-L2
fibers (thoracolumbar division)
(b) Location of Ganglia In sympathetic chain
(paravertebral ganglia or
abdominal prevertebral or
collateral ganglion,
preganglionic fibers usually;
shorter than post-ganglionic
fibers (except adrenal medulla)
(c) Branching of Preganglionic Extensive branching ave. ratio
fibers preganglionic to postganglionic
fibers = 1:20
PARASYMPATHETIC
DIVISION
Cranial nerves III, VII, IX, X;
spinal nerves S2-S4 (cranio-
sacral division)
In or near effector organs thus
preganglionic fibers usually
longer than post-ganglionic
fibers
Limited branching; ave. ratio of
preganglionic to post-
ganglionic fibers 1.1 (except the
vagus)
Biochemical Differences Between
Sympathetic & Parasympathetic Divisions
The transmission of an impulse along a nerve fiber is an electrical
phenomenon. In contrast, transmission, across synapses and neuroeffector
junctions is mediated by chemical substances called neurohumors or
neurotransmitter agents (NTA)
CNS Preganglionic fiber
ganglion (synapse)
.
Postganglionic fiber
Neuroeffector junction

2 Main NTAs of the ANS

Acetylcholine (Ach)
Norepinephrine (NE)

Nerves secreting Ach are CHOLINERGIC Nerves

Nerves secreting NE are ADRENERGIC Nerves

Biochemical subdivision of ANS - Cholinergic Division

- Adrenergic Division
Summary of Neurohumoral
Transmission AUTONOMIC
SOMATIC

CHOLINERGIC

Sympathetic Sympathetic Parasympathetic

Adrenergic Cholinergic

CNS CNS CNS CNS

Pregang. Pregang. Pregang.

Transmitter ACH ACH ACH Somatic

Fibers

Postgang. Postgang. Postgang.

Transmitter NE ACh ACh ACh

effector effector effector effector

cell cell cell cell *

Sweat Glands Skeletal

blood vessels of skeletal Muscle
muscles
piloerector muscles
4 Steps in Chemical Transmission
Process
Synthesis and / storage of NTA in
the prejunctional fiber
Release of NTA from the storage
vesicles (exocytosis)
Interaction of NTA with receptors
and initiation of post junctional
activity
Destruction or dissipation
(deactivation) of NTA
NTA: Acetylcholine (ACH)
Synthesized and stored in
vesicles at the terminal of
prejunctional fibers
Released by the terminals of
nerve fiber upon arrival of nerve
impulse
- Influx of Ca++ precedes the
release
NTA: Acetylcholine (ACH)
Interaction with receptors to produce the response:
Ach on Cholinergic Receptors:
Nicotinic
Muscarinic

Cholinergic transmission occurs at the following 4 locations:

1. All parasympathetic
neuroeffector junctions muscarinic
2. Sympathetic cholinergic receptors
neuroeffector junctions cholinergic
3. All peripheral ganglia receptors
4. All somatic neuromuscular nicotinic
junctions receptors

Response excitatory or inhibitory in ANS

Deactivation: by enzymatic hydrolysisby

acetycholinesterase (Ach E)
NTA: Norepinephrine (NE)
Synthesized and stored in the terminals of
sympathetic adrenergic postganglionic fibers (in
vesicles)
Release of NE
Arrival of nerve impulse at terminals of postganglionic fibers
renders the membrane permeable to Ca++ ions Ca++ influx
vesicles break release of NE
Interaction of NE with adrenergic receptors to
produce a response at most sympathetic
adrenergic neuroeffector junctions.
Adrenergic receptors : alpha + beta -1 and beta -2 receptors
Summary of adrenergic
receptor subdivision
Alpha () receptors
stimulation excitatory responses
examples: vasoconstriction in skin and mucosa;
contraction of gastrointestinal
sphincters; piloerection
exception: decreased gastrointestinal motility and tone
Beta () stimulation inhibitory responses
examples: vasodilation in skeletal muscles
relaxation of bronchial muscle
exception: increased heart rate, contractility,
conduction velocity

B1 Receptors - found in the heart

B2 Receptors - elsewhere in the body
Inactivation of NE or removal of
NE from neuroeffector junction
Main mechanism is REUPTAKE of
NE back to postganglionic terminal
- facilitated by presence of - 2 receptors at the
terminals
Diffusion of NE into circulation
- Inactivated by COMT (catechol-O-methyl
transferase)
Inactivation of NE by MAO (mono
amine oxidase) at the neuroeffector
junction
Summary of Receptors
AUTONOMIC SOMATIC
Adrenergic Cholinergic

Sympathetic Sympathetic Parasympathetic

Cholinergic

CNS CNS CNS CNS

Nicotinic Nicotinic Nicotinic

Adrenegic receptors muscarinic muscarinic nicotinic

effector effector effector effector

cell ** cell * cell cell **

*** (receptor type) ** sweat glands ** (skeletal muscle)

B1 B2 (most individuals);
depends on effector blood vessels of
organ skeletal muscles
Relationship of Adrenal Medulla
and Sympathetic
Sympathetic preganglionic fiber innervates
the adrenal medullary cells.

Stimulation of sympathetics also stimulate

adrenal medullary cells secretion and
release of norepinephrine & epinephrine
into circulation + B1 B2 receptors.
2 Sources of NE
Sympathetic Adrenergic
Postganglionic Fibers

Adrenal Medulla
Source of E: Adrenal Medulla
NE + strongly and B1 receptors

+ weakly B2 receptors

E + strongly B1 B2 receptors.

- Adrenal medulla reinforces

sympathetic effects