The Enlarged Autonomic Nervous System

Abstract

The traditional view of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) considers only its peripheral part, the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, to which some-times the enteric ANS is added as an independent entity. However, this view is insufficient to understand the most important function of the ANS: the mainte-nance of homeostasis. This Chapter describes the hierarchical organization of the autonomic motor pathways and their similarities with the somatic motor organi-zation. It analyzes the types of neurons, neuronal circuits, and electric potentials identified in autonomic neurons.