autonomic nervous system diagram from EK

[anomedic]

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Please find an image of the autonomic nervous system attached (from EK).
View attachment autonomic nervous system.docx
I'm having difficulty understanding the following points:
where are the postganglionic fibers in both systems? I see them in the legend but I can't locate them in the actual image.
what do the black circles represent in the sympathetic nervous system? what do the grey lines represent in the sympathetic nervous system?
how am I supposed to interpret this image? I see pre-ganglionic and post-ganglionic, where is the actual ganglion, so I can know where the pre ends and the post begins?
anyhelp interpreting this diagram would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JaBoomDay]

Please find an image of the autonomic nervous system attached (from EK).
View attachment 20950
I'm having difficulty understanding the following points:
where are the postganglionic fibers in both systems? I see them in the legend but I can't locate them in the actual image.
what do the black circles represent in the sympathetic nervous system? what do the grey lines represent in the sympathetic nervous system?
how am I supposed to interpret this image? I see pre-ganglionic and post-ganglionic, where is the actual ganglion, so I can know where the pre ends and the post begins?
anyhelp interpreting this diagram would be greatly appreciated.

Yeah that diagram is kinda crappy!
I scanned a new image for you from my Human Physiology textbook.
The black circles in your diagram are the ganglia. That's where pre ends and the post begins. Neurons communicate with each other through those ganglia which are peripheral structures that neurons synapse onto. The neurons that travel from the central nervous system to the ganglia are the preganglionic neurons, and the neurons that travel from the ganglia to the effector organs are the post ganglionic neurons.

 

[Leonardo Noto]

Please find an image of the autonomic nervous system attached (from EK).
View attachment 20950
I'm having difficulty understanding the following points:
where are the postganglionic fibers in both systems? I see them in the legend but I can't locate them in the actual image.
what do the black circles represent in the sympathetic nervous system? what do the grey lines represent in the sympathetic nervous system?
how am I supposed to interpret this image? I see pre-ganglionic and post-ganglionic, where is the actual ganglion, so I can know where the pre ends and the post begins?
anyhelp interpreting this diagram would be greatly appreciated.

Okay, not the greatest diagram for learning the autonomic nervous system (but decent for reviewing it if you already 'jive the lingo'). The gray lines coming off the circles on the sympathetic side are postganglionic fibers coming from the ganglia. The small circles are the sympathetic chain/paravertebral ganglia (in English, ganglia that are located adjacent to the spine...obviously not in anatomical location on the diagram). The large circles located near the neck are the superior cervical ganglia, an enlargement of the sympthetic chain in the cervical (neck) region. The large circles are the para-aortic/collateral/prevertebral ganglia (celiac plexus and friends) that lie directly atop the aorta.

On the parasympthetic side of the diagram, the upper fibers traveling through the cranial nerves to the face, the middle fibers are traveling down the vagus nerve (which is also cranial nerve number 10 -- it's just a weirdo b/c it travels so far down the body unlike the other 11 cranial nerves...you'll learn about it in medical school ad infinitum). The lower parasympathetic fibers are coming from the sacral plexus, which provides parasympathetic innervation to the distal third of the colon and the pelvic organs. The parasympathetic projections that you see traveling distances (e.g. down the vagus nerve) are pre-ganglionic neurons -- these end on a plethora of localized ganglia that are positioned just before the organ that they are destined for. Some of the parasympathetic ganglia in the head are larger and have names, but the take home point is that parasympathetic pre-ganglionic fibers are the ones who do the traveling. This is in contrast to the sympathetic fibers, which often have postganglionic fibers that do the majority of the traveling (e.g. from the celiac plexus atop the aorta to the adrenal glands).

In my opinion, the most important thing to know for the MCAT is the general effects of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and how they operate both during rest and during the fight-or-flight response. The best way to solidify this into your memory is to work questions. One more thing--a little tricky factoid that I can't imaging being on the MCAT but which will be on your anatomy test in med school: The abdominal splanchnic nerves carry postganglionic sympathetic fibers but the pelvic splanchnic nerves (aka: nervi erigentes) carry preganglionic parasympathetic fibers.

Leonardo Noto

www.leonardonoto.com or follow me on Twitter @DrLeonardoNoto

 

[JaBoomDay]

Okay, not the greatest diagram for learning the autonomic nervous system (but decent for reviewing it if you already 'jive the lingo'). The gray lines coming off the circles on the sympathetic side are postganglionic fibers coming from the ganglia. The small circles are the sympathetic chain/paravertebral ganglia (in English, ganglia that are located adjacent to the spine...obviously not in anatomical location on the diagram). The large circles located near the neck are the superior cervical ganglia, an enlargement of the sympthetic chain in the cervical (neck) region. The large circles are the para-aortic/collateral/prevertebral ganglia (celiac plexus and friends) that lie directly atop the aorta.

On the parasympthetic side of the diagram, the upper fibers traveling through the cranial nerves to the face, the middle fibers are traveling down the vagus nerve (which is also cranial nerve number 10 -- it's just a weirdo b/c it travels so far down the body unlike the other 11 cranial nerves...you'll learn about it in medical school ad infinitum). The lower parasympathetic fibers are coming from the sacral plexus, which provides parasympathetic innervation to the distal third of the colon and the pelvic organs. The parasympathetic projections that you see traveling distances (e.g. down the vagus nerve) are pre-ganglionic neurons -- these end on a plethora of localized ganglia that are positioned just before the organ that they are destined for. Some of the parasympathetic ganglia in the head are larger and have names, but the take home point is that parasympathetic pre-ganglionic fibers are the ones who do the traveling. This is in contrast to the sympathetic fibers, which often have postganglionic fibers that do the majority of the traveling (e.g. from the celiac plexus atop the aorta to the adrenal glands).

In my opinion, the most important thing to know for the MCAT is the general effects of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and how they operate both during rest and during the fight-or-flight response. 👍👍👍The best way to solidify this into your memory is to work questions. One more thing--a little tricky factoid that I can't imaging being on the MCAT but which will be on your anatomy test in med school: The abdominal splanchnic nerves carry postganglionic sympathetic fibers but the pelvic splanchnic nerves (aka: nervi erigentes) carry preganglionic parasympathetic fibers.

Leonardo Noto

www.leonardonoto.com or follow me on Twitter @DrLeonardoNoto

You make me excited for med school.