Chapter 15 Learning Objectives:
After studying this material you should be able to:
1. Explain how the autonomic and somatic nervous systems differ in form and function.
2. Explain how the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system differ in general function.
3. Identify the anatomical components and nerve pathways of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.
4. Discuss why the sympathetic division is also called the thoracolumbar division.
5. Discuss why the parasympathetic division is also called the craniosacral division.
6. Draw and label the following: white matter, gray matter, preganglionic fiber, postganglionic fiber, ventral root, dorsal root, lateral horns, autonomic ganglion, effector; and describe the relationship between these structures in terms of a visceral reflex arc.
7. Explain why in anatomical terms why the parasympathetic division affects target organs more selectively than the sympathetic division does.
8. Name the neurotransmitters employed at different synapses of the ANS and by different fibers (cholergenic / adrenergic).
9. Name the receptors for these neurotransmitters and explain how these receptor types relate to autonomic effects.
10. Discuss why sympathetic effects last longer than parasympathetic effects.
11. Discuss specific examples of how different brain structures control the ANS.