Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): In a Nutshell (Nursing)

00:00 So to conclude our lecture on the autonomic nervous system, recall that the autonomic nervous system sends and receives signals to and from the blood vessels, smooth muscle fibers, and neurons of the body.

00:16 It is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

00:21 Most autonomic pathways consist of two motor neurons: the preganglionic motor neuron and the postganglionic motor neuron.

00:31 Based on the neurotransmitter, autonomic neurons and receptors are considered either cholinergic or adrenergic.

00:42 Cholinergic neurons are going to release acetylcholine while adrenergic neurons release norepinephrine.

00:51 Finally, autonomic reflex arcs are going to receive signals from our viscera such as the heart and blood vessels, integrate them in the spinal cord, and then relay those signals back to the viscera to affect factors such as our blood pressure and our heart rate.

01:11 And this concludes our lecture on the autonomic nervous system. Thank you for listening.