autonomic nervous system

noun

1. the system of nerves and ganglia that innervates the blood vessels, heart, smooth muscles, viscera, and glands and controls their involuntary functions, consisting of sympathetic and parasympathetic portions.

autonomic nervous system

noun

1. the section of the nervous system of vertebrates that controls the involuntary actions of the smooth muscles, heart, and glands. It has two divisions: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic Compare somatic nervous system

autonomic nervous system

/ ô′tə-nŏm′ĭk /

1. The part of the vertebrate nervous system that regulates involuntary activity in the body by transmitting motor impulses to cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, and the glands. The muscular activity of the heart and of the circulatory, digestive, respiratory, and urogenital systems is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system .

autonomic nervous system

1. The part of the nervous system that controls involuntary functions of the body (those not controlled consciously), such as digestion , the beating of the heart , and the operation of glands in the endocrine system .

Word History and Origins

Origin of autonomic nervous system¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Music can activate our autonomic nervous system and even cause shivers down the spine.

From Science Daily

"Our future research will search for ways to block these complications and protect the adrenal gland from receiving 'false' autonomic nervous system information originating from the spinal cord below the lesion site."

From Science Daily

When macrophages are activated by the adrenergic signals of the autonomic nervous system, they in turn communicate with fibroblasts.

From Science Daily

“The experiments are correct,” says David Goldstein, an expert on the autonomic nervous system at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

From Science Magazine

Pupil size reflects activation of the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions and is negatively impacted in people with depression.

From Science Daily