Which organs are regulated by the autonomic nervous system? Well-established mechanism of the autonomic nervous system. Central and peripheral nervous system

All organs of our body, all physiological functions, as a rule, have stable automatism and the ability to self-regulate. Self-regulation is based on the principle feedback”: any change in function, and even more so going beyond the limits of permissible fluctuations (for example, too much increase in blood pressure or its decrease) causes excitation of the corresponding parts of the nervous system, which send impulses-orders that normalize the activity of an organ or system. This is carried out by the so-called vegetative, or autonomous, nervous system.

Vegetative nervous system regulates the activities blood vessels, heart, respiratory organs, digestion, urination, glands internal secretion. In addition, it regulates the nutrition of the central nervous system itself (the brain and spinal cord) and skeletal muscles.

The activity of the autonomic nervous system is subordinated to the centers located in the hypothalamus, and they, in turn, are controlled by the cerebral cortex.

The autonomic nervous system is conditionally divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic systems (or departments). The first mobilizes the body's resources when different situations requiring a quick response. At this time, not essential for this moment activity digestive organs(blood supply, secretion and motility of the stomach and intestines decrease) and attack and defense reactions are activated. The content of adrenaline and glucose in the blood increases, which improves the nutrition of the muscles of the heart, brain and skeletal muscles (adrenaline dilates the blood vessels of these organs, and more blood rich in glucose enters them). At the same time, the activity of the heart quickens and intensifies, blood pressure rises, its clotting accelerates (which prevents the danger of blood loss), a frightening or cowardly facial expression appears - the palpebral fissures and pupils expand.

A feature of the reactions of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is their redundancy (i.e., the mobilization of an excess amount of reserve forces) and advanced development - they turn on at the very first danger signals.

However, if the state of excitation (and even more so overexcitation) of the sympathetic nervous system is repeated very often and persists for a long time, then instead of beneficial effect it can be harmful to the body. So, with frequently repeated excitation of the sympathetic department, the release of hormones into the blood, which narrow the vessels, increases. internal organs. As a result, blood pressure rises.

The constant repetition of such situations can lead to the development hypertension, angina and other pathological conditions.

Therefore, many scientists consider initial stage hypertension as an expression of increased reactivity of the sympathetic nervous system. The connection between the overexcitation of this system and the development of hypertension, heart failure and even myocardial infarction has been confirmed in animal experiments.

The parasympathetic nervous system is activated in conditions of rest, relaxation, and a comfortable state. At this time, the movements of the stomach and intestines increase, the secretion of digestive juices, the heart works in a rarer rhythm, the rest period of the heart muscle increases, its blood supply improves, the vessels of the internal organs expand, due to which blood flow to them increases, blood pressure decreases.

Overexcitation of the parasympathetic nervous system is accompanied by various unpleasant sensations in the stomach and intestines, and even sometimes contributes to the development peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum. By the way, night pains in persons suffering from peptic ulcer disease are explained by increased parasympathetic activity during sleep and inhibition of the sympathetic nervous system. Related to this is frequent occurrence seizures bronchial asthma during sleep.

In experiments on monkeys, it was found that stimulation of various parts of the parasympathetic system electric shock naturally caused in experimental animals the appearance of ulcers on the mucous membrane of the stomach or duodenum. Clinical picture experimental peptic ulcer was similar to the typical manifestations of this disease in humans. After transection of the vagus (parasympathetic) nerve, the pathological influence of the stimulus disappeared.

With frequent and prolonged activation of both parts of the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic), a combination of two pathological processes: sustained increase in blood pressure (hypertension) and peptic ulcer.

AT normal conditions at healthy person the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions are in a state of balanced dynamic equilibrium, which is characterized by a slight predominance of sympathetic influences. Each of them is sensitive to the slightest changes in the environment and reacts quickly to them. The balance of the divisions of the autonomic nervous system is also reflected in the mood of a person, which colors everything. mental phenomena. Violations of this balance not only "spoil" the mood, but also cause various painful symptoms eg spasms of the stomach and intestines, changes in the rhythm of the heart, headache, nausea, dizziness.

In the implementation of vegetative reactions great importance has cortical tone frontal lobes brain. When it decreases, caused, for example, by mental overwork, nerve impulses coming from the internal organs can be recorded in the mind as a signal of trouble. A person mistakenly evaluates such sensations as painful (heaviness in the stomach, discomfort in the region of the heart, etc.). With a normal tone of the cerebral cortex, impulses from the internal organs do not reach the higher parts of the brain and are not reflected in consciousness.

Under certain conditions mental processes, occurring in the cerebral cortex, can have an active influence on the activity of internal organs. This was convincingly demonstrated by experiments with the development of conditioned reflex changes in the activity of the heart, the tone of blood vessels, respiration, digestion, excretion, and even blood composition. The fundamental possibility of arbitrarily changing autonomic functions was also established by observing the effects of hypnotic suggestion and self-hypnosis. Trained in a certain way, people can cause expansion or constriction of blood vessels (i.e., lower or increase blood pressure), increase urination, sweat, change metabolic rate by 20-30%, reduce heart rate or increase heart rate. However, all these self-actions are by no means indifferent to the organism. For example, cases are known when an inept voluntary influence on the activity of the heart manifested itself so sharply that a person lost consciousness. And therefore, the use of such a system of self-regulation as autogenic training should be accompanied by an awareness of the seriousness and effectiveness of the method of influencing the body with a word.

The processes in the internal organs, in turn, affect the state of the brain and mental activity. Everyone knows changes in mood and mental performance before and after meals, the effect on the psyche of a reduced or increased metabolism. So, with a sharp decrease in metabolism, mental lethargy appears; an increase in metabolism is usually accompanied by an acceleration of mental reactions. With full health, characterized by the dynamic constancy of the work of all physiological systems, such a mutual influence of the cerebral cortex and the vegetative sphere is expressed by a feeling of a comfortable state, inner peace. This feeling disappears not only with certain violations during internal environment organism, for example various diseases, but also in the period of "pre-illness", as a result of malnutrition, hypothermia, as well as with various negative emotions - fear, anger, etc.

The study of the structure and functions of the brain made it possible to understand the causes of many diseases, to remove the mystery of the “miracles of recovery” from therapeutic suggestions in a state of hypnosis and self-hypnosis, to see the unlimited possibilities of cognition and self-knowledge of the brain, the limits of which are still not known. Indeed, in the cerebral cortex, as already mentioned, there are an average of 12 billion nerve cells, each of which encloses many processes from other brain cells. This creates the prerequisites for the formation of a huge number of connections between them and is an inexhaustible reserve brain activity. But usually a person uses a very small part of this reserve.

It has been established that the brain of primitive people was potentially capable of performing much more complex functions than was necessary only for the survival of the individual. This property of the brain is called super redundancy. Thanks to this, as well as articulate speech, people can reach the heights of knowledge and pass it on to their descendants. The super-redundancy of the brain is far from being exhausted, and in modern man, and this is the key to the future development of his mental and physical abilities.

The autonomic (autonomic) nervous system (ANS) regulates the activity of vital internal organs and body systems. The nerve fibers of the autonomic NS are located throughout the human body.

The ANS centers are located in the midbrain, diencephalon, and spinal cord. The nerves emerging from all these centers belong to two subgroups of the autonomic NS: sympathetic and parasympathetic.

Due to the fact that in abdominal cavity there are many different organs whose activity is regulated by the autonomic nervous system, then there are also many nerves and nerve plexuses, for example, along the aorta there is the so-called solar plexus. Nerve plexuses in chest regulate the functions of the heart and lungs.

Functions of the ANS

The autonomic nervous system controls the activity of the most important human organs and systems. It regulates all the functions of the heart and blood vessels, for example, when playing sports, individual muscles need more blood, therefore, when exposed to nerve impulses, the number of heart contractions increases and blood vessels expand. At the same time, the nervous system also increases breathing so that the blood can carry more oxygen to the muscles that account for huge pressure. In a similar way The ANS also regulates body temperature. Excess heat is removed by intense skin circulation.

By regulating the blood circulation of the pelvic organs, the ANS also regulates the sexual functions of a person. So in violation of the blood circulation of the pelvic organs in men, impotence may occur. The ANS regulates the function of urination. Its centers are in the lumbar segments and the sacrum, the spinal cord.

ANS nerves regulate muscle movement digestive system from the esophagus, stomach, intestines towards the anus.

If food needs to be digested, they stimulate the liver and pancreas to produce digestive juices. At the same time, the blood circulation of the stomach and intestines becomes more intense, and nutrients of the food eaten and digested are immediately absorbed and carried throughout the human body.

The sympathetic NS is connected with the spinal cord, where the bodies of the first neurons are located, the processes of which end in the nerve nodes (ganglia) of two sympathetic chains located on both sides in front of the spine. Due to the connection of ganglia with other organs, in some internal diseases certain areas of the skin begin to hurt, which makes it easier to diagnose.

Automated activity

It is almost impossible to influence the functions of the autonomic nervous system, because it acts automatically, it regulates all the functions of the body, which should also operate during sleep. The mechanism of regulation of the ANS can be influenced by hypnosis or by mastering the exercises autogenic training. Therefore, these methods are used to treat various violations NS.

How are functions regulated?

Vegetative NS is common throughout the body. It regulates vital processes and each “mistake” made by it can be costly. The activity of the ANS is mainly automatic, involuntary, and is only slightly controlled by consciousness.

Where are the regulatory centers located?

The parasympathetic system causes pupil constriction, and the sympathetic system causes pupil dilation.

The centers of the ANS are located in the spinal cord and brain. The regulatory function is carried out through the nerve plexuses and nodes. They independently regulate some processes that are constantly occurring in the human body, but only as long as the load does not require the "intervention" of the brain. For example, the function of the muscles of the stomach and intestines is regulated in this way. The task to activate the activity of certain glands, muscles or tissues is transmitted to the nerves of the ANS in different ways, for example, the body can release the appropriate hormones, or the nerves can respond to a stimulus. An example of such a reaction is the contraction of the muscles of the walls of blood vessels in order to stop bleeding (this is important, for example, when donating blood - excitement, causing a spasm of the muscles of a blood vessel, makes this process difficult).

Do not attempt to influence your body's natural functions (such as your heartbeat) with autogenic training or yoga, as this may lead to serious violations heart rate.

Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system is represented by two divisions - sympathetic and parasympathetic. In some cases, the sympathetic nervous system enhances the same function of any organ, and parasympathetic system- depresses, in relation to other functions and organs - on the contrary. For example, the sympathetic nervous system increases the heart rate, speeds up the metabolism, and weakens the peristalsis of the stomach and intestines, causing the blood vessels to contract and slowing the blood flow. The parasympathetic nervous system acts in reverse: it stimulates digestion, blood circulation of the skin, slows down heartbeat and metabolism.

Various nerve conductors have the opposite effect on the internal organs - some weaken their functions, while others strengthen them. For example, to speed up the heartbeat during physical activity and its slowing down after it requires the action of nerves, both stimulating the activity of the heart and slowing it down. Thus, the regulation of autonomic functions is carried out due to the coordinated action of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves.

Consequences of violations of the activities of the VNS

The consequences of a violation of the interaction of parts of the ANS - deterioration in well-being and development serious illnesses. Insomnia, headache, stomach pain, internal restlessness and tension, a feeling of "pressure" on the heart, fainting - all these symptoms may indicate autonomic dystonia. Sometimes autonomic disorders contribute to disorders menstrual cycle, as well as sexual and urinary functions. In the treatment, in addition to taking sedatives, psychotherapy or autogenic training, yoga is recommended.

Insomnia

A common cause of insomnia is a dysfunction in the regulation of the ANS. For example, if you ate heavy food for digestion or ate too much before going to bed, then the ANS stimulates not only the stomach and intestines, but also the heart and the blood vessel system.

Alcohol is very dangerous

Often functional disorder vegetative NS are exposed to people who are in a stressful state. Usually drinking alcohol helps them cope with stress. However, in the future, alcohol abuse leads to the development

central nervous system and peripheral, represented by those extending from the head and spinal cord nerves, - peripheral nervous system. A section of the brain shows that it consists of gray and white matter.

Gray matter is formed by clusters of nerve cells (with the initial sections of processes extending from their bodies). Separate limited clusters gray matter are called nuclei.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia symptoms

This disease is characterized fatigue, weakness, headache, fainting, feeling short of breath, poor adaptation to heat or stuffy rooms, excessive sweating and other disorders.
It's caused pathological changes in work autonomic nervous system.
Autonomic nervous system (ANS) - department of the nervous system, controlling and regulating the work of all internal organs. This is an autonomic nervous system, since its activity is not subject to the will and control of human consciousness. The ANS is involved in the regulation of many biochemical and physiological processes, for example, supports normal temperature body, optimal blood pressure level, is responsible for the processes of digestion, urination, for activity cardiovascular, endocrine, immune systems etc.

The main divisions of the ANS are: sympathetic and parasympathetic.
Sympathetic division of the ANS responsible for relaxation of the muscles of the digestive tract, Bladder ,

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Since the ANS works in a secret mode, many are interested in what the autonomic nervous system is. In fact, she does very important activity inside the body. Thanks to her, we breathe properly, blood circulation occurs, our hair grows, the pupils adjust to the lighting of the world around us, and hundreds of other processes take place that we do not follow. That is why the average person who has not experienced failures in this part of the nervous system does not even suspect its existence.

All work of the vegetative system is carried out by neurons within the human nervous system. Thanks to them and their signals, individual organs receive the appropriate "orders" or "messages". All signals come from the brain and spinal cord. Neurons, among other things, are responsible for the work salivary glands, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and the work of the heart. If you have observed, you probably noticed how in stressful situation the stomach begins to twist, constipation appears, or vice versa, an urgent need to go to the toilet, the heartbeat also increases, and saliva quickly accumulates in the mouth. This is only part of the symptoms of malfunctioning of the autonomic system.

You need to know what the autonomic nervous system consists of if you suffer from its disorder. The autonomic nervous system is divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic. We have already touched on this topic a little earlier, however, now we will consider it in more detail.

As mentioned above, the autonomic nervous system is involved in many processes. For clarity, we advise you to study the following images, which show the organs that are affected by the ANS. Overall plan The structure of the autonomic nervous system is as follows.

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The system responds to stimuli coming from outside or inside the body. Every second she performs certain work which we are not even aware of. This is a prime example that the body lives independently of our conscious life. So, the autonomic part of the nervous system is primarily responsible for the work of breathing, circulation, hormone levels, excretion and heartbeat. There are three types of control that this department of the nervous system exercises.

Point impact on individual organs, for example, on the work of the gastrointestinal tract - functional control.
Trophic control is responsible for metabolism at the cellular level in individual bodies body.
Vasomotor control controls the level of blood flow to a particular organ.

command centers

The two main centers that determine the value of the autonomic nervous system, from where all commands come from, are the spinal cord and the brain stem. They give the necessary signals to certain departments in order to build the work of the organs.

The sacral and sacral centers are responsible for the functioning of the pelvic organs.
Thoracolumbar centers are located in the spinal cord from 2-3 lumbar segments to 1 thoracic.
Bulbar department ( medulla), responsible for the work facial nerves, glossopharyngeal and vagus.
Responsible for the work of the pupillary reflex midbrain- mesencephalic region.

To make the physiology of the autonomic nervous system and its work visual, study the following picture.

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As you can see, the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions are responsible for completely opposite commands. When disturbances in the work of the ANS occur, the patient experiences certain problems with one or another organ, since the regulation does not work properly and a large number of signals are sent to a specific part of the body.

Vegetative system disorders

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Today it cannot be said that the autonomic nervous system has been fully studied, since studies are still underway. active research and development. However, in 1991, academician Wein identified the main classification of violations vegetative department. Modern scientists use the classification developed by American specialists.

Disorders central department autonomic nervous system: isolated autonomic failure, Shy-Drager syndrome, Parkinson's disease.
catecholamine disorders.
Disorders of orthostatic tolerance: postural tachycardia syndrome, orthostatic hypotension, neurogenically caused by syncope.
Peripheral disorders: familial dysautonomia, GBS, diabetic disorders.

Using medical terms, few people will understand the essence of diseases, so it’s easier to write about the main symptoms. Those suffering from autonomic disorder are highly responsive to changes environment: humidity, atmospheric pressure fluctuation, air temperature. Observed a sharp decline physical activity, a person is hard psychologically and emotionally.

With damage to the hypothalamus, failures in the innervation of blood vessels and arteries are observed.
Diseases that affect the hypothalamus (trauma, hereditary or congenital tumors, subarachnoid hemorrhage) affect thermoregulation, sexual function, and obesity is possible.
Children sometimes have Prader-Willi syndrome: muscle hypotension, obesity, hypogonadism, slight mental retardation. Kleine-Levin syndrome: hypersexuality, drowsiness, bulimia.
General symptoms are expressed in the manifestation of aggressiveness, malice, paroxysmal drowsiness, increased appetite and asocial instability.
feeling dizzy, rapid heartbeat, spasms of cerebral vessels.

Dysfunction

When the malfunction of several organs is disturbed, which cannot be explained in any way by a medical doctor, most likely the patient has a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. All symptoms are the result of physical illness, a nervous disorders. This dysfunction is also known as vegetovascular dystonia or neurocirculatory. All problems are related exclusively to the work of internal organs. Violation of the autonomic nervous system can manifest itself as follows.

Hormonal imbalance;
Overwork;
Psycho-emotional stress;
Depression;
exposure to stress;
Endocrine pathologies;
Chronic diseases of the cardiovascular and digestive systems.

Symptoms

Interestingly, dysfunction can manifest itself in completely different ways, which makes it difficult to diagnose. Initially, the patient has to undergo many examinations in order to exclude physiological pathologies. Features of the autonomic nervous system are diverse, and therefore all symptoms should be divided into subgroups.

1. Respiratory system:

Hyperventilation syndrome;
Suffocation;
Dyspnea;
Difficulty exhaling and inhaling.

2. Heart:

horse racing blood pressure;
Increased heartbeat;
Fluctuating heart rate;
Chest pain, discomfort.

3. Digestive organs:

abdominal stress;
Dyspeptic disorders;
Belching with air;
Increased peristalsis.

4. Mind:

sleep disorders;
Resentment, irritability;
Poor concentration;
Unreasonable worries, anxieties and fears.

5. Skin and mucous membranes:

increased sweating;
dry mouth;
tingling and numbness;
Hand tremor;
Spotted hyperemia, redness, cyanosis of the skin.

6. Motor-support device:

Pain in the muscles;
Feeling of a lump in the throat;
Motor restlessness;
Tension headaches;
Muscle spasms and convulsions.

7. Urogenital systems:

Frequent urination;
Premenstrual syndrome.

Most often, patients experience vegetative dystonia on . This means that symptoms from several groups appear simultaneously or alternately. Mixed dystonia is also accompanied by the following symptoms:

feeling of chills;
Asthenia;
Fainting, dizziness;
Subfebrile body temperature;
fatigue.

It is worth noting that the autonomic nervous system innervates all organs and tissues if the sympathetic department is disturbed. The parasympathetic division does not innervate skeletal muscles, receptors, the central nervous system, the walls of some vessels, the uterus, the adrenal medulla.

Centers of the autonomic nervous system

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All centers of the autonomic nervous system are located in the medulla oblongata, spinal and midbrain, cortex big brain, cerebellum, hypothalamus and reticular formation. Like everything in nature, the body is subject to a hierarchy, when the lower section is subject to a higher one. The lowest center is responsible for the regulation physical functions, and those located above take on higher vegetative functions. Since the autonomic nervous system consists of the parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions, they also have different centers, respectively.

The sympathetic department, or rather, the first three neurons of the ANS are located from 3-4 segments lumbar to the first thoracic (the middle and medulla oblongata, the posterior nuclei of the hypothalamus and the anterior horns of the spinal cord are responsible for the work).
Parasympathetic located in segments 2-4 sacral department spinal cord (medium and medulla oblongata, anterior hypothalamus).

Picks

Parsing the topic vegetative dystonia, you can not ignore the mediators of the autonomic nervous system. These chemical compounds They play a very important role in the functioning of the entire system, as they transmit nerve impulses from cell to cell, thanks to which the body works smoothly and harmoniously.

The first key mediator is called acetylcholine, which is responsible for the work of the parasympathetic department. Thanks to this mediator, blood pressure decreases, the work of the heart muscle decreases, and peripheral blood vessels expand. Under the action of acetylcholine, the smooth muscles of the walls are reduced bronchial tree increases the motility of the gastrointestinal tract.

Second important mediator called norepinephrine. Thanks to its work, the motor apparatus is activated in a stressful or shock situation, mental activity increases sharply. Since it is responsible for the work of the sympathetic department, norepinephrine regulates the level blood pressure, narrows the gaps of blood vessels, increases blood volume, enhances the work of the heart muscles. Unlike adrenaline, this neurotransmitter does not affect the functioning of smooth muscles, but is much more capable of narrowing blood vessels.

There is a link through which the sympathetic and parasympathetic departments coordinate with each other. The following mediators are responsible for this connection: histamine, serotonin, adrenaline and others.

ganglia

The ganglia of the autonomic nervous system also play an important role, as many nerve signals pass through them. Among other things, they are also divided into ganglia of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions (located on both sides of the spine). In the sympathetic department, depending on the localization, they are divided into prevertebral and paravertebral. The ganglia of the parasympathetic division, in contrast to the sympathetic, are located inside the organs or next to them.

reflexes

If we talk about the reflexes of the autonomic nervous system, then you should know that they are divided into trophic and functional. So, the trophic influence consists in correcting the work of some organs, and the functional one consists either in the complete inhibition of work or vice versa, in full start (irritation). Vegetative reflexes are usually divided into the following groups:

Viscero-somatic. Excitation of the receptors of the internal organs leads to a change in the tone of the skeletal muscles.
Viscero-visceral. In this case, irritation of the receptors of one organ leads to changes in the work of another.
Viscero-sensory. Irritation leads to changes in the sensitivity of the skin.
Soma-visceral. Irritation leads to a change in the work of internal organs.

As a result, we can say that the topic, as well as the features of the autonomic nervous system, are very extensive, if you delve into medical terms. However, we do not need this at all.

To deal with violation autonomic dysfunction, you need to follow certain rules and understand the simple essence of the work, which we have already talked about many times. Everything else needs to be known exclusively to specialists.

The above diagram of the autonomic nervous system will help you understand and understand which department is disrupted.

The human nervous system consists of neurons that perform its main functions, as well as auxiliary cells that ensure their vital activity or performance. All nerve cells fold into special tissues located in the skull, human spine in the form of organs of the brain or spinal cord, as well as throughout the body in the form of nerves - fibers of neurons that grow from one another, intertwining many times, forming a single neural network that penetrates into each even smallest part of the body.

According to the structure and functions performed, it is customary to divide the entire nervous system into central (CNS) and peripheral department(PNS). The central one is represented by command and analyzing centers, and the peripheral one is represented by an extensive network of neurons and their processes throughout the body.

The functions of the PNS are mostly executive, since its task is to convey information to the central nervous system from organs or receptors, to transmit orders from the central nervous system to organs, muscles and glands, and also to control the execution of these orders.

The peripheral system, in turn, consists of two subsystems: somatic and vegetative. The functions of the somatic subdivision are represented by motor activity of skeletal and motor muscles, as well as sensory (collection and delivery of information from receptors). Another somatic maintains a constant muscle tone of the skeletal muscles. Vegetative system It has more complex, rather managerial functions.

The functions of the ANS, in contrast to the somatic subdivision of the nervous system, do not consist in simply receiving or transmitting information from an organ to the brain and vice versa, but in controlling the unconscious work of internal organs.

The autonomic nervous system regulates the activity of all internal organs, as well as from large to the smallest glands, regulates the functioning of the muscles of hollow organs (heart, lungs, intestines, bladder, esophagus, stomach, etc.), as well as by controlling the work of internal organs, it can regulate the entire metabolism and homeostasis of a person as a whole.

It can be said that the ANS regulates the activity of the organism, which it carries out unconsciously, not obeying the mind.

Structure

The structure is not too different from the sympathetic, since it is represented by the same nerves, ultimately leading to the spinal cord or directly to the brain.

According to the functions performed by the neurons of the vegetative part of the peripheral system, it is conditionally divided into three subdivisions:

The sympathetic division of the ANS is represented by nerves from neurons that excite the activity of an organ or transmit an excitatory signal from special centers located in the central nervous system.
The parasympathetic department is arranged in exactly the same way, only instead of excitatory signals it brings inhibitory signals to the organ, which reduces the intensity of its activity.
The metasympathetic subdivision of the vegetative division, which regulates the contraction of hollow organs, is its main difference from the somatic one and causes it to be somewhat independent from the central nervous system. It is built in the form of special microganglionic formations - sets of neurons located directly in the controlled organs, in the form of intramural ganglia - nerve nodes that control the contractility of the organ, as well as nerves connecting them to each other and to the rest of the human nervous system.

The activity of the metasymptomatic subdivision can be either independent or corrected by the somatic nervous system with the help of reflex action or hormonal, and also partially by the central nervous system, which controls endocrine system responsible for the production of hormones.

The neural fibers of the ANS intertwine and connect with the somatic nerves, and then transmit information to the central through the main large nerves: spinal or cranial.

There is none major nerve, which would perform only vegetative or somatic functions, this separation occurs already at a smaller or, in general, cellular level.

Diseases to which she is subject

Although people divide the human nervous system into subdivisions, in fact it is a special network, each part of which is closely connected with the others and depends on them, and not only exchanges information. Diseases of the autonomic part of the whole nervous system are diseases of the PNS as a whole and are represented by either neuritis or neuralgia.

Neuralgia - inflammatory process in the nerve, which does not lead to its destruction, but without treatment can go into neuritis.
Neuritis is an inflammation of a nerve or its injury, accompanied by the death of its cells or a violation of the integrity of the fiber.

Neuritis, in turn, is of the following types:

Multineuritis, when a lot of nerves are affected at once.
Polyneuritis, the cause of which is the pathology of several nerves.
Mononeuritis - neuritis of only one nerve.

These diseases are caused by negative impact directly on the nerve tissue caused by the following factors:

Pinching or compression of the nerve by muscles, tissue tumors, neoplasms, overgrown ligaments or bones, aneurysms, etc.
Hypothermia of the nerve.
Injury to the nerve or nearby tissues.
Infections.
Diabetes.
Toxic damage.
Degenerative processes of nervous tissues, for example, multiple sclerosis.
Lack of circulation.
Lack of any substances, such as vitamins.
Metabolism disorder.
Irradiation.

In this case, polyneuritis or multineuritis usually cause the last eight causes.

In addition to neuritis and neuralgia, in the case of the ANS, there may be a pathological imbalance in the work of its sympathetic department with the parasympathetic one due to hereditary abnormalities, negative brain damage or due to immaturity of the brain, which is quite common in childhood when sympathetic and parasympathetic centers they begin to take turns to take over unevenly developing, which is the norm and goes away by itself with age.

Breakdowns of the centers of the metasympathetic nervous system are extremely rare.

Consequences of disruption

The consequences of violations of the work of the VNS are improper performance its functions to regulate the activity of internal organs, and as a result - to the failure of their work, which at least can be expressed in improper excretory activity by the secretory glands, for example, hypersalivation (salivation), sweating or, conversely, lack of sweat, covering the skin with fat or lack of it workings sebaceous glands. The consequences of disruption of the work of the ANS lead to failures in the activity of vital organs: the heart and respiratory organs, but it rarely comes to this. Severe polyneuritis usually causes small complex deviations in the functioning of internal organs, resulting in a violation of metabolism and physiological homeostasis.

It is the coordinated work of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the ANS that carries out the main work on regulation. The fragile balance is disturbed quite often different reasons and leads to wear or, conversely, to the oppression of any organ or their combination. In the case of glands that produce hormones, this can lead to not very unpleasant consequences.

Restoration of ANS functions

The neurons that make up the ANS in the same way do not know how to divide and regenerate the tissues that make up, like the cells of other parts of the human nervous system. The treatment of neuralgia and neuritis is standard, it does not differ in case of damage to the autonomic nerve fibers from damage to the somatic nerves of the human PNS.

Restoration of functions occurs according to the same principle as in any nervous tissue by redistributing responsibilities between neurons, as well as building up new processes with the remaining cells. Sometimes irretrievable loss of any functions or their failure is possible, usually this does not lead to vital pathologies, but sometimes it requires immediate intervention. Such an intervention includes stitching the damaged nerve or installing a pacemaker that regulates its contractions instead of the metasympathetic subdivision of the ANS.