Auntonomic Nervous System

610 Words3 Pages
Mandy DeMuth- The Autonomic Nervous System The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is a branch of the peripheral nervous system, is primarily visceral (organs, smooth muscle, intestines, etc) and uses involuntary reactions within the body. There are two major components to the ANS; the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. It also has a smaller component, the enteric system, which is just as important for human survival. The ANS is also used to regulate glands and muscles in the body. Overall, humans need their ANS to survive and are often times unaware of the absolute necessity of its functions. The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS play a crucial role in the human body to be able to react and properly function in response to external or internal stimuli. The sympathetic nervous system allows the human to go into “fight or flight” mode, which increases their alertness and metabolism in the face of danger or excitability. For example, if I am put into a dangerous situation, my sympathetic nervous system will kick into gear and my body will have an amplitude of necessary energy- heart rate increasing, blood pressure increasing, and digestion slowing down. This change in bodily homeostasis would allow for me to address the situation ahead of me in a more appropriate and natural manner. The parasympathetic nervous system plays an opposite role- it allows the body to slow down and go into a “rest and digest” state of being. It allows for the body to save energy, thus causing decreased heart rate, decreased respiration, and the ability for digestion to take place. (Is this why I want to nap after eating Thanksgiving dinner?) When the body needs to save energy, it can easily utilize the parasympathetic system in order to do so. With the major functions slowing down and digestion taking place, the body is on its way to
Open Document