SYMPATHETIC AND

PARASYMPATHETIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Presented by Group A
Azka Imtiaz
Khadija Bibi
Tooba Mehmood
Aqsa
Javeria
Hussain
M. Bilal
 The Autonomic Nervous System

• The autonomic nervous system controls specific body processes, such as blood circulation, digestion,
breathing, urination, heartbeat, etc. The autonomic nervous system is named so because it works
autonomously, i.e., without a person’s conscious effort.

• The primary function of the autonomic nervous system is homeostasis. Apart from maintaining the
body’s internal environment, it is also involved in controlling and maintaining the following life processes:

• Digestion

• Metabolism

• Urination

• Defecation

• Blood pressure

• Sexual response

• Body temperature
• Heartbeat

• Breathing rate

• Fluid balance

• There are two types of the autonomic nervous system:

• Sympathetic autonomic nervous system

• Parasympathetic autonomic nervous system

Sympathetic Nervous System

• Sympathetic nervous system is part of your autonomic nervous system. It could be called
your “automatic” nervous system, as it is responsible for many functions that you don’t have
to think about to control. This can include control of your heart rate, blood pressure,
digestion, urination and sweating, among other functions.

• Your sympathetic nervous system is best known for its role in responding to dangerous or
stressful situations. In these situations, your sympathetic nervous system activates to speed
up your heart rate, deliver more blood to areas of your body that need more oxygen or other
responses to help your get out of danger.
Function
• Your sympathetic nervous system controls your “fight-or-flight” response. Danger or stress activates your
sympathetic nervous system, which can cause several things to happen in your body. In response to
danger or stress, your sympathetic nervous system may affect your:

• Eyes. Enlarge your pupils to let more light in and improve your vision.

• Heart. Increase your heart rate to improve the delivery of oxygen to other parts of your body.

• Lungs. Relax your airway muscles to improve oxygen delivery to your lungs.

• Digestive tract. Slow down your digestion so its energy is diverted to other areas of your body.

• Liver. Activate energy stores in your liver to an energy that can be used quickly.

• These effects help you in situations where you might need to think or act quickly. They improve your
eyesight, reflexes, endurance and strength. Your sympathetic nervous system also activates at times
when your body’s under strain, like when you’re exercising or are sick.

• Your sympathetic nervous system activity also affects your immune system and your body’s repair
processes. These effects can help your body start repairs on an injury quickly if you get hurt.

Neurotransmitters

• Your sympathetic nervous system uses chemicals called neurotransmitters to communicate. Specifically,
these chemicals are norepinephrine, epinephrine and acetylcholine.
Anatomy
Where is your sympathetic nervous system located?

• Most of the signals that your sympathetic nervous system sends start in your spinal cord. The signals leave
your spinal cord and activate structures called ganglia. Your sympathetic ganglia then send the necessary
signals far and wide to different parts of your body. This could include your heart, lungs, arteries, sweat
glands and digestive system.
What is it made of?

• The components of your sympathetic nervous system are similar to those found in other parts of your
nervous system. The main type of cell is a neuron, which can generate and receive signals.

Conditions and Disorders

What are the common conditions and disorders that affect the sympathetic nervous system?

• There are many conditions and causes of sympathetic nervous system problems. Common examples
include:

• Type 2 diabetes. Uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes can damage your autonomic nervous system, including
your sympathetic nervous system. An example of this is orthostatic hypotension, where your blood pressure
drops when you stand up. Diabetes-related neuropathy can damage the nerves that normally trigger a blood
pressure increase reflex when you stand.

• Anxiety disorders and chronic stress. Anxiety and chronic stress can strain your sympathetic nervous
system. Over time, that can increase your risk of obesity and other metabolic problems.
• Cancer. Pheochromocytomas are a type of cancer that affects your adrenal glands, which are at the top
of your kidneys. Your adrenal glands produce neurotransmitters, like adrenaline and norepinephrine. This
kind of cancer makes these glands release too much adrenaline and norepinephrine, which keeps your
sympathetic nervous system far more active than needed.

• Genetic conditions. Genetic conditions like amyloidosis can affect your sympathetic nervous system.

• Horner’s syndrome. This condition affects a small part of the sympathetic nervous connections in your
face. This can cause a small pupil, a lack of facial sweating and eyelid drooping.

• Infections. Nerve damage can happen because of viruses and certain bacteria.

• Multiple system atrophy. This severe condition is similar to Parkinson’s disease, damaging autonomic
nerves over time.

• Sexual dysfunction. Your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems play a role in sexual
function. Individuals with a penis with sympathetic nervous system damage may experience priapism, an
erection lasting at least four hours. Without treatment, priapism can lead to permanent
erectile dysfunction.

• Trauma. Injuries can cause nerve damage, which may be long-term or even permanent. This is
especially the case when you have injuries to your spinal cord that damage or cut off sympathetic
nervous system connections farther down.
 Parasympathetic Nervous System

• Parasympathetic nervous system is part of your autonomic nervous system. It could be called your
“automatic” nervous system, as it’s responsible for many functions that you don’t have to think about to
control. This can include control of your heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, urination and sweating,
among other functions.

• The parasympathetic part of your autonomic nervous system balances your sympathetic nervous system.
While your sympathetic nervous system controls your body’s “fight or flight” response, your
parasympathetic nervous system helps to control your body’s response during times of rest.

Function
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

• Your parasympathetic nervous system’s job is usually to relax or reduce your body’s activities. Because
of the signals it carries, the rhyming phrases “rest and digest” or “feed and breed” are easy ways to
remember what your parasympathetic nervous system does.

• Your parasympathetic nervous system can have the following effects:

• Eyes: It constricts your pupils to limit how much light enters your eyes. It also makes changes that can
help improve your close-up vision, and causes tear production in your eyes.
• Nose and mouth: It makes glands in your mouth produce saliva, and glands in your nose produce mucus. This
can be helpful with digestion and breathing during times of rest.

• Lungs: It tightens airway muscles and ultimately reduces the amount of work your lungs do during times of rest.

• Heart: It lowers your heart rate and the pumping force of your heart.

• Digestive tract: It increases your rate of digestion and diverts energy to help you digest food. It also tells your
pancreas to make and release insulin, helping your body break down sugars into a form your cells can use.

• Waste removal: It relaxes the muscles that help you control when you pee (urinate) or poop (defecate).

• Reproductive system: It manages some of your body’s sexual functions, including feeling aroused (erections in
people with a penis and secreting fluids that provide lubrication during sex in people with a vagina).

Anatomy
Where is the parasympathetic nervous system located?

• Your parasympathetic nervous system is one of two parts of your autonomic nervous system. Your autonomic
nervous system is a subsystem of your peripheral nervous system, which is all the nervous tissue in your body
excluding your brain and spinal cord.

• Your parasympathetic nervous system uses four of your 12 cranial nerves. These are nerves that connect directly
to your brain. Three of those four only involve your senses and glands connected to your eyes, nose and mouth.
• The fourth, your vagus nerve, connects to part of your mouth and also extends down through your neck to your
chest and abdomen (belly). Your vagus nerve makes up about 75% of your parasympathetic nervous system
overall, connecting to your heart, lungs and other vital internal organs.

• Farther down, 31 spinal nerves connect directly to your spinal cord, but your parasympathetic nervous system
only uses some of them in the lower part of your spine. This sends signals to your bladder and bowels to relax so
you can use the bathroom.

What is it made of?

• Your parasympathetic nervous system’s components are similar to those found in other parts of your nervous
system. Neurons are the main type of cell — they can generate and receive signals.

Conditions and Disorders

• What are the common conditions and disorders that affect the parasympathetic nervous system?

• Many conditions and problems can affect your autonomic nervous system, including your parasympathetic
nervous system. Potential problems include:

• Type 2 diabetes. Uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes can damage your autonomic nervous system, including your
parasympathetic nervous system.

• Congenital and genetic conditions. These are disorders or conditions you have at birth. You have genetic
conditions because you inherit them from one or both parents. Inherited forms of amyloidosis can cause
parasympathetic nervous system problems.
• Parasympathetic nervous system problems can cause incontinence when there’s damage to the nerves
that control your bladder and bowels.

• Multiple system atrophy. This severe condition is similar to Parkinson’s disease, damaging autonomic
nerves over time.

• Sexual dysfunction. People with parasympathetic nervous system damage may have
erectile dysfunction.

• Trauma. Nerve damage from injuries is potentially long-term or even permanent. This is especially the
case when you have injuries to your spinal cord or main nerve structures that impair or cut off
parasympathetic connections farther down.