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The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the sympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. [1] [2] The autonomic nervous system is responsible for regulating the body's unconscious actions.
Parasympathetic ganglia are the autonomic ganglia of the parasympathetic nervous system. Most are small terminal ganglia or intramural ganglia, so named because they lie near or within (respectively) the organs they innervate. The exceptions are the four paired parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck.
The somatic nervous system directs all voluntary movements of the skeletal muscles, and can be sub-divided into afferent and efferent neuronal flow. The autonomic nervous system is divided primarily into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems with a third system, the enteric nervous system, receiving less recognition. [2]
These agents inhibit the parasympathetic nervous system by selectively blocking the binding of ACh to its receptor in nerve cells. The nerve fibers of the parasympathetic system are responsible for the involuntary movement of smooth muscles present in the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, lungs, sweat glands, and many other parts of the ...
Autonomic nervous system, showing splanchnic nerves in middle, and the vagus nerve as "X" in blue. The heart and organs below in list to right are regarded as viscera. The autonomic nervous system has been classically divided into the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system only (i.e., exclusively motor).
It transmits parasympathetic signals to and from the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. [15] The vagal system is claimed to be inhibitory of primal instincts by being part of the parasympathetic nervous system, in opposition to the sympathetic-adrenal system, involved in mobilization behaviors. [14]
While baseline vagal input is constant, the degree of stimulation it exerts is regulated by a balance of inputs from sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system, with parasympathetic activity generally being dominant. Vagal tone is frequently used to assess heart function, and is also useful in assessing emotional ...
Increased parasympathetic outflow prominently affects the heart, reducing the heart rate or, in extreme cases, completely halting heart beats. This is a common cause of fainting. [3] The parasympathetic nervous system is dominant in situations of rest and relaxation, it has an activating effect on digestive organs and a relieving one on the heart.