What is ANS?
What is ANS?
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates the functions of our internal organs (the viscera) such as the heart, stomach and intestines. The ANS is part of the peripheral nervous system and it also controls some of the muscles within the body. We are often unaware of the ANS because it functions involuntary and reflexively. For example, we do not notice when blood vessels change size or when our heart beats faster. However, some people can be trained to control some functions of the ANS such as heart rate or blood pressure.
The ANS is most important in two situations:
- In emergencies that cause stress and require us to "fight" or take "flight" (run away)
- In nonemergencies that allow us to "rest" and "digest."
The ANS regulates:
- Muscles
-- in the skin (around hair follicles; smooth muscle
-- around blood vessels (smooth muscle)
-- in the eye (the iris; smooth muscle)
-- in the stomach, intestines and bladder (smooth muscle)
-- of the heart (cardiac muscle)
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates the functions of our internal organs (the viscera) such as the heart, stomach and intestines. The ANS is part of the peripheral nervous system and it also controls some of the muscles within the body. We are often unaware of the ANS because it functions involuntary and reflexively. For example, we do not notice when blood vessels change size or when our heart beats faster. However, some people can be trained to control some functions of the ANS such as heart rate or blood pressure.
The ANS is most important in two situations:
- In emergencies that cause stress and require us to "fight" or take "flight" (run away)
- In nonemergencies that allow us to "rest" and "digest."
The ANS regulates:
- Muscles
-- in the skin (around hair follicles; smooth muscle
-- around blood vessels (smooth muscle)
-- in the eye (the iris; smooth muscle)
-- in the stomach, intestines and bladder (smooth muscle)
-- of the heart (cardiac muscle)
