Autonomic nervous system
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Blue = parasympathetic
Red = sympathetic
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) (or visceral nervous system) is the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's internal state.
Most of these activities are performed without conscious control or sensation, but some work together with the conscious mind, such as breathing. The ANS has far reaching effects, including: heart rate, digestion, respiration rate, salivation, perspiration, diameter of the pupils, the discharge of urine, and erection.
The ANS is divided into two limbs, the parasympathetic nervous system which is primarily involved in relexation, and the sympathetic nervous system which causes the body to become more active as in the "fight or flight" response.
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[change] Further reading
- The Second Brain, Michael D. Gershon, HarperCollins Publishers, New York (1998)
