The autonomic nervous system controls which of the following?

The autonomic nervous system controls which of the following?

• A. Glands and the muscles of the internal organs
• B. Skeletal muscles only
• C. Sensory receptors
• D. Cerebral cortex activity

Answer: (A)

The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary body functions by controlling glands and the smooth muscles in internal organs. It modulates activities such as digestion, heart rate, pupil size, and bladder function through its sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. It does not manage voluntary skeletal muscles (that’s the somatic system), nor does it directly govern sensory receptors, nor the cerebral cortex’s higher-level processing. So, glands and the muscles of the internal organs are precisely what the autonomic system controls.

The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary body functions by controlling glands and the smooth muscles in internal organs. It modulates activities such as digestion, heart rate, pupil size, and bladder function through its sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. It does not manage voluntary skeletal muscles (that’s the somatic system), nor does it directly govern sensory receptors, nor the cerebral cortex’s higher-level processing. So, glands and the muscles of the internal organs are precisely what the autonomic system controls.