Autonomic Nervous System Quiz

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) innervates cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, and glands to regulate involuntary functions of the body.

The nervous system requires a significant amount of energy to function due to its high metabolic demands for signal transmission. Surface area and concentration gradients play a role in facilitating the movement of glucose and oxygen to meet the energy requirements of the nervous system.

Neurons consist of dendrites that receive signals, the cell body which contains the nucleus and other organelles, and the axon that transmits signals away from the cell body. The incorrect answers either misrepresent the components of a neuron or introduce unrelated terms.

The axon is the part of the neuron that carries electrical impulses away from the cell body towards other neurons or muscle cells, allowing for the transmission of neurotransmitters.

In the central nervous system, groups of neuronal cell bodies are referred to as nuclei. The term 'nucleus' specifically denotes a cluster of cell bodies, not to be confused with other parts of a neuron like axons or synapses.

Neuronal cell bodies in the PNS are grouped together in structures called ganglia, which serve various functions in the peripheral nervous system.

The spinal cord is made up of 31 segments, each of which gives rise to a pair of spinal nerves. Therefore, the correct answer is 31 spinal cord segments and 31 spinal nerves.

Spinal nerves are classified as mixed nerves because they contain both sensory and motor fibers, allowing them to carry both types of signals to and from the spinal cord.

The dorsal root carries sensory afferent fibers (information from the body to the central nervous system) while the anterior root carries motor efferent fibers (information from the central nervous system to the body). The incorrect answers mix up the roles of sensory and motor fibers in the dorsal and anterior roots.

Lateral horns are exclusively found in the thoracolumbar spine, serving as a distinguishing feature of this particular region.

The sympathetic nervous system is found in the thoracolumbar region of the spine, not in the cervical, sacral, or lumbar regions.

The cell bodies of sympathetic neurons are located in the lateral horn of the spinal cord. This region is responsible for controlling the fight-or-flight responses in the body.

The correct answer is IML - Intermediolateral nucleus, which is a specific area in the lateral horn of the spinal cord where preganglionic neurons of the sympathetic nervous system are located.

The preganglionic neuron leaves the spinal cord via the ventral roots and becomes the White Ramus as it travels to the sympathetic chain ganglia. The incorrect answers do not accurately describe the pathway of the preganglionic neuron in the autonomic nervous system.

The axon, as it becomes the white ramus, has specific choices outlined in the correct answer. Branching into multiple directions, traveling back to the cell body, or detaching from the spinal cord are not among the typical options for the axon in this context.

In the sympathetic chain, the 'pearls' represent cell bodies, while the 'string' represents axons. This is important for understanding the structure and function of the sympathetic nervous system.

The correct answer is that all PRE ganglionic cell bodies in the sympathetic nervous system are located in the thoracolumbar spine T1 - L2, which is responsible for the fight or flight response.

Sympathetic Chain Ganglia are clusters of post ganglionic neuronal cell bodies located in the paravertebral ganglia.

The cell bodies of upper thoracic IML project their axons superiorly to synapse on the superior chain ganglia, which are located adjacent to the spinal cord. This pathway is important for autonomic functions such as regulating the heart, lungs, and blood vessels.

Cell bodies in the middle and lower IML project their axons in specific directions based on their location within the spinal cord. Understanding this projection pattern is important in studying the autonomic nervous system.

Paravertebral ganglia are part of the sympathetic nervous system and innervate visceral structures in the skin and visceral organs to regulate involuntary bodily functions.

Prevertebral ganglia contain cell bodies of neurons whose axons will innervate the abdominal and pelvic viscera. The incorrect answers provided are not accurate in describing the components or innervation of prevertebral ganglia.

The parasympathetic Nervous System is found in the craniosacral system, which includes the brainstem, cranial nerves, and sacral spinal cord segments S2-S4. The thoracolumbar system refers to the sympathetic Nervous System and is not where the parasympathetic Nervous System is located. The cervical and sacral systems do not specifically encompass the parasympathetic Nervous System.

The parasympathetic nervous system primarily regulates activities that occur when the body is at rest, while the sympathetic nervous system controls the 'fight or flight' response. Parasympathetic innervation to the limbs is not present, as the limbs require more immediate responses controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.

The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for regulating the 'Rest and Digest' response, which includes stimulation of the gastrointestinal (GI), reproductive, and urinary systems. This is the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system's 'Fight or Flight' response, which increases heart rate and blood pressure and promotes stress and anxiety.

Preganglionic nuclei responsible for autonomic functions are located in specific regions of the nervous system. The correct answer specifies both the cranial nerve nuclei in the brainstem and the sacral parasympathetic nucleus in the S2-S4 region as the locations for these nuclei. The incorrect answers provided do not accurately represent the locations of preganglionic nuclei related to autonomic functions.

Parasympathetic postganglionic cell bodies are located close to or on the visceral organs they will innervate to efficiently regulate autonomic functions.

In the sympathetic nervous system, the pre-ganglionic axon is short while the post-ganglionic axon is long. This is due to the location of the ganglia relative to the spinal cord.

The parasympathetic pre ganglionic axon is long while the post ganglionic axon is short, hence the correct answer is 'LongShort'. The other options are incorrect due to their mismatch in length descriptions.

Varicosities can appear in both the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, specifically in the smooth muscle tissues.