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Autonomic nervous system
Pronunciation
Definition 1
The part of the nervous system that controls muscles of internal organs (such as the heart, blood vessels, lungs, stomach, and intestines) and glands (such as salivary glands and sweat glands). One part of the autonomic nervous system helps the body rest, relax, and digest food and another part helps a person fight or take flight in an emergency. Also called ANS and involuntary nervous system. (NCI Dictionary)
Definition 2
The part of the nervous system of vertebrates that controls involuntary actions of the smooth muscles and heart and glands. (NCI Thesaurus)
Definition 3
The enteric, parasympathetic, and sympathetic nervous systems taken together. Generally speaking, the autonomic nervous system regulates the internal environment during both peaceful activity and physical or emotional stress. Autonomic activity is controlled and integrated by the central nervous system, especially the hypothalamus and the solitary nucleus, which receive information relayed from VISCERAL AFFERENTS; these and related central and sensory structures are sometimes (but not here) considered to be part of the autonomic nervous system itself. (NLM, Medical Subject Headings)
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