|
Ramus Communicans
Ramus communicans (: rami communicantes) is the Latin term used for a nerve which connects two other nerves, and can be translated as "communicating branch". Structure When used without further definition, it almost always refers to a communicating branch between a spinal nerve and the sympathetic trunk. More specifically, it usually refers to one of the following : * Gray ramus communicans * White ramus communicans The grey and white rami communicantes are responsible for conveying autonomic signals, specifically for the sympathetic nervous system. Their difference in colouration is caused by differences in myelination of the nerve fibres contained within, i.e. there are more myelinated than unmyelinated fibres in the white rami communicantes while the converse is true for the grey rami communicantes. Gray ramus communicans The grey rami communicantes exist at every level of the spinal cord and are responsible for carrying postganglionic nerve fibres from the paravertebral ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spinal Nerve
A spinal nerve is a mixed nerve, which carries Motor neuron, motor, Sensory neuron, sensory, and Autonomic nervous system, autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the body. In the human body there are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, one on each side of the vertebral column. These are grouped into the corresponding cervical vertebrae, cervical, thoracic vertebrae, thoracic, lumbar vertebrae, lumbar, sacral vertebrae, sacral and coccygeal vertebrae, coccygeal regions of the spine. There are eight pairs of cervical nerves, twelve pairs of thoracic nerves, five pairs of lumbar nerves, five pairs of sacral nerves, and one pair of coccygeal nerves. The spinal nerves are part of the peripheral nervous system. Structure Each spinal nerve is a mixed nerve, formed from the combination of nerve root axon, fibers from its Dorsal root of spinal nerve, dorsal and Ventral root of spinal nerve, ventral roots. The dorsal root is the afferent nerve fiber, afferent sensory root and carries sen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sympathetic Trunk
The sympathetic trunk (sympathetic chain, gangliated cord) is a paired bundle of nerve fibers that run from the base of the skull to the coccyx. It is a major component of the sympathetic nervous system. Structure The sympathetic trunk lies just lateral to the vertebral bodies for the entire length of the vertebral column. It interacts with the anterior rami of spinal nerves by way of rami communicantes. The sympathetic trunk permits preganglionic fibers of the sympathetic nervous system to ascend to spinal levels superior to T1 and descend to spinal levels inferior to L2/3.Greenstein B., Greenstein A. (2002): Color atlas of neuroscience – Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. Thieme, Stuttgart – New York, . The superior end of it is continued upward through the carotid canal into the skull, and forms a plexus on the internal carotid artery; the inferior part travels in front of the coccyx, where it converges with the other trunk at a structure known as the ganglion impar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gray Ramus Communicans
Each spinal nerve receives a branch called a gray ramus communicans (: rami communicantes) from the adjacent paravertebral ganglion of the sympathetic trunk. The gray rami communicantes contain postganglionic nerve fibers of the sympathetic nervous system and are composed of largely unmyelinated neurons. This is in contrast to the white rami communicantes, in which heavily myelinated neurons give the rami their white appearance. Function Preganglionic sympathetic fibers from the intermediolateral nucleus in the lateral grey column of the spinal cord are carried in the white ramus communicans to the paravertebral ganglia of the sympathetic trunk. Once the preganglionic nerve has traversed a white ramus communicans, it can do one of three things. * The preganglionic neuron can synapse with a postganglionic sympathetic neuron in the sympathetic paravertebral ganglion at that level. From here, the postganglionic sympathetic neuron can travel back out the grey ramus communicans of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White Ramus Communicans
The white ramus communicans (: rami communicantes) from Latin ramus (branch) and communicans (communicating) is the preganglionic sympathetic outflow nerve tract from the spinal cord. Each of the thoracic, and the first and second lumbar nerves contribute a white ramus communicans to the adjoining sympathetic ganglion, unlike the gray rami which are located at each spinal level. White rami communicantes contain both myelinated and unmyelinated preganglionic sympathetic fibers, ( GVE and GVA). The white ramus appears white because there are more myelinated than unmyelinated fibers unlike the gray rami. Structure The white rami communicantes are the preganglionic sympathetic outflow from the spinal cord. The cell bodies for the preganglionic sympathetic myelinated fibers in the white rami communicantes lie in the ipsilateral (same sided) intermediolateral cell column in the spinal cord which extends from T1-L2. These rami also contain general visceral afferent fibers (sensory ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system (ANS), sometimes called the visceral nervous system and formerly the vegetative nervous system, is a division of the nervous system that operates viscera, internal organs, smooth muscle and glands. The autonomic nervous system is a control system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions, such as the heart rate, its Myocardial contractility, force of contraction, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary dilation, pupillary response, Micturition, urination, and Animal sexual behaviour, sexual arousal. The fight-or-flight response, also known as the acute stress response, is set into action by the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is regulated by integrated reflexes through the brainstem to the spinal cord and organ (anatomy), organs. Autonomic functions include control of respiration, heart rate, cardiac regulation (the cardiac control center), vasomotor activity (the vasomotor center), and certain reflex, reflex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sympathetic Nervous System
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS or SANS, sympathetic autonomic nervous system, to differentiate it from the somatic nervous system) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is sometimes considered part of the autonomic nervous system, and sometimes considered an independent system. The autonomic nervous system functions to regulate the body's unconscious actions. The sympathetic nervous system's primary process is to stimulate the body's fight or flight response. It is, however, constantly active at a basic level to maintain homeostasis. The sympathetic nervous system is described as being antagonistic to the parasympathetic nervous system. The latter stimulates the body to "feed and breed" and to (then) "rest-and-digest". The SNS has a major role in various physiological processes such as blood glucose levels, body temperature, cardiac output, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Postganglionic Nerve Fibers
In the autonomic nervous system, nerve fibers from the ganglion to the effector organ are called postganglionic nerve fibers. Neurotransmitters The neurotransmitters of postganglionic fibers differ: * In the parasympathetic division, neurons are ''cholinergic''. That is to say acetylcholine is the primary neurotransmitter responsible for the communication between neurons on the parasympathetic pathway. * In the sympathetic division, neurons are mostly ''adrenergic'' (that is, epinephrine and norepinephrine function as the primary neurotransmitters). Notable exceptions to this rule include the sympathetic innervation of sweat glands and arrectores pilorum muscles where the neurotransmitter at both pre and post ganglionic synapses is acetylcholine. Another notable structure is the medulla of the adrenal gland, where chromaffin cells function as modified post-ganglionic nerves. Instead of releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine into a synaptic cleft, these cells of the adrenal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intermediolateral Cell Column
The intermediolateral nucleus (IML) is located in Rexed lamina VII of the lateral grey column, one of three grey matter columns found in the spinal cord. The intermediolateral cell column exists at vertebral levels T1 – L3. It mediates the entire sympathetic innervation of the body, but the nucleus resides in the grey matter of the spinal cord. Rexed Lamina VII contains several well defined nuclei including the posterior thoracic nucleus (Clarke's column), the intermediolateral nucleus, and the sacral autonomic nucleus. It extends from T1 to L3, and contains the autonomic motor neurons that give rise to the preganglionic fibers of the sympathetic nervous system The sympathetic nervous system (SNS or SANS, sympathetic autonomic nervous system, to differentiate it from the somatic nervous system) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the parasympathetic nervous sy ..., (preganglionic sympathetic general visceral efferents). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Preganglionic Nerve Fibers
In the autonomic nervous system, nerve fibers from the central nervous system to the ganglion are known as preganglionic nerve fibers. All preganglionic fibers, whether they are in the sympathetic division or in the parasympathetic division, are cholinergic (that is, these fibers use acetylcholine as their neurotransmitter) and they are myelinated. Sympathetic preganglionic fibers tend to be shorter than parasympathetic preganglionic fibers because sympathetic ganglia are often closer to the spinal cord than are the parasympathetic ganglia. Another major difference between the two ANS (autonomic nervous systems) is divergence. Whereas in the parasympathetic division there is a divergence factor of roughly 1:4, in the sympathetic division there can be a divergence of up to 1:20. This is due to the number of synapses formed by the preganglionic fibers with ganglionic neurons. See also * Nerve fiber * Grey column * Terminal cisterna * Rexed lamina * Postganglionic nerve fib ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
