Physiology of the Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system is one of the most important systems in maintaining homeostasis of the human body. It is one of the two parts of the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system consists of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the somatic nervous system. The ANS controls automatic functions and responses such as heart rate and blood pressure. Understanding ANS physiology enables anesthesiologists to safely use medications while maintaining homeostasis.

The ANS consist of two major subsets of systems: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). This chapter will provide a comprehensive overview of the SNS followed by the PSNS. Each system overview will include a description of anatomy, ganglionic transmission, transmitter types, release, synthesis, storage, termination of effects, receptor types, effects, and finally reflexes and regulation. There will also be a brief discussion of the enteric nervous system at the end of the chapter.

1. Wecker L, Crespo L, Dunway G, Faingold C, Watts S. Introduction to the autonomic nervous system. In: Wecker L, editor. Brody’s human pharmacology. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Mosby; 2010. p. 93–106.

   Chapter  Google Scholar 

2. Hall JE. The autonomic nervous system and the adrenal medulla. In: Hall JE, editor. Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology. 13th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2016. p. 773–5.

   Google Scholar 

3. Grecu L. Autonomic nervous system: physiology and pharmacology. In: Barash PG, editor. Clinical anesthesia. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2013. p. 361–407.

   Google Scholar 

4. Glick DB. The autonomic nervous system. In: Miller RD, Cohen NH, Eriksson LI, Fleisher LA, Wiener-Kronish JP, Young WL, editors. Miller’s anesthesia. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders; 2015. p. 346–86.

   Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA

   Brian K. Johnson

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian K. Johnson .

Editors and Affiliations

1. Departments of General Anesthesia and Outcomes Research, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western University, Cleveland, OH, USA

   Ehab Farag

2. Center for Anesthesiology Education, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA

   Maged Argalious

3. Department of General Anesthesia, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

   John E. Tetzlaff

4. Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

   Deepak Sharma

Cite this chapter

Johnson, B.K. (2018). Physiology of the Autonomic Nervous System. In: Farag, E., Argalious, M., Tetzlaff, J.E., Sharma, D. (eds) Basic Sciences in Anesthesia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62067-1_19

Download citation

• .RIS
• .ENW
• .BIB

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62067-1_19

• Published: 12 August 2017

• Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

• Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62065-7

• Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62067-1

• eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)