Comparing Somatic, Autonomic, Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems

[endeavour]

Easiest/best ways to describe the differences between:

Somatic and autonomic nervous system
-somatic has the motor neurone's cell body inside the CNS, while autonomic has its motor neurone's cell body outside the CNS, in the ganglia (2 neurones carry impulse from CNS to organ)


Sympathetic and parasympathetic NS.
-Sympathetic is concerned with 'flight or fight'; parasympathetic is 'rest and digest'.
-In sympathetic NS, ganglia are connected to each other? (not sure about that)
-Parasympathetic NS - synapse between preganglionic neurone and autonomic neurone is inside the organ (while sympathetic is in the ganglia close to spinal cord).
-Parasympathetic involves the vagus nerve.
-and what about the neurotransmitters? Both use acetylcholine, but sympathetic uses noradrenaline too?

posterior and anterior pituitary glands- posterior: secretes hormones made by hypothalamus, into blood (eg ADH and oxytocin)
- anterior: neurones in hypothalamus produce, and secrete hormones into blood vessels. Hormones then travel via blood to anterior pituitary gland, and affect secretions of other hormone.


I'm unsure about differences between posterior and anterior.

please, if you can correct or add to the above, PLEASE REPLY!

Thankyou :)

 

[Moonbear]

posterior and anterior pituitary glands- posterior: secretes hormones made by hypothalamus, into blood (eg ADH and oxytocin)
- anterior: neurones in hypothalamus produce, and secrete hormones into blood vessels. Hormones then travel via blood to anterior pituitary gland, and affect secretions of other hormone.


I'm unsure about differences between posterior and anterior.

I'll start here, for no other reason than because it's the easiest for me to answer without thinking much (I've been busy with other stuff so haven't replying to questions that require me to think too hard about something other than the work I'm trying to distract myself from while online ) Anyway, you're going to get the very boiled down version here.

The hypothalamus produces a bunch of hormones (in various cells and in various places in the hypothalamus). Some of these hormones are called releasing hormones. These releasing hormones are secreted into a collection of blood vessels (pituitary portal vessels) that run from the hypothalamus (a very small part of it known as the median eminence) to the anterior pituitary (also called the adenohypophysis). When they reach the anterior pituitary, they stimulate the production and/or release of other hormones within cells of the pituitary. These hormones then are released into the general blood circulation to reach more distant targets in the body to either act upon those organs or stimulate or inhibit release of other hormones from those more distant glands.

Another set of hormones produced in the hypothalamus are released by neurons that project all the way down to the posterior pituitary (also called the neurohypophysis). They are then stored there until released into the general circulation to act on more distant targets.

So, the anterior pituitary produces a new set of hormones in response to those that reach it from the hypothalamus while the posterior pituitary acts more like a warehouse to temporarily store hormones produced by the hypothalamus to be later distributed to the rest of the body.

 

[ravenprp]

Somatic and autonomic nervous system:
The somatic nervous system controls voluntary movements and carries sensory information from the body to the brain. Its motor neurons have their cell bodies inside the central nervous system (CNS). On the other hand, the autonomic nervous system controls involuntary functions such as heart rate, digestion, and breathing. Its motor neurons have their cell bodies outside the CNS, in the ganglia. This means that there are two neurons involved in carrying impulses from the CNS to the organs in the autonomic system, while there is only one in the somatic system.

Sympathetic and parasympathetic NS:
The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body's response to stress or danger, commonly known as "fight or flight". It prepares the body for action by increasing heart rate, dilating blood vessels, and releasing adrenaline. The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is responsible for the body's rest and digestion response. It slows down heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and promotes digestion. In the sympathetic system, the ganglia are connected to each other, allowing for a quick and coordinated response. In the parasympathetic system, the synapse between the preganglionic neuron and the autonomic neuron is located within the organ itself, allowing for a more localized and specific response.

Neurotransmitters:
Both sympathetic and parasympathetic systems use acetylcholine as their primary neurotransmitter. However, the sympathetic system also uses norepinephrine (noradrenaline) to activate certain responses in the body.

Posterior and anterior pituitary glands:
The posterior pituitary gland secretes hormones that are produced by the hypothalamus, such as antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and oxytocin, directly into the blood. The anterior pituitary gland, on the other hand, receives signals from the hypothalamus to produce and secrete hormones into the blood vessels. These hormones then travel to other glands and organs in the body, where they stimulate the production and release of other hormones. In this way, the anterior pituitary gland acts as a "master gland" in regulating various bodily functions.