[edit on Wikidata] The autonomic nervous system (ANS), formerly the vegetative nervous system, is a division of the peripheral nervous system that supplies smooth muscle and glands, and thus influences the function of internal organs.
Autonomic nervous system 1 Anatomy. The central part of the ANS consists of centers within the brainstem and the spinal cord, while the peripheral part is made up of autonomic fibers and ganglia of … 2 Sympathetic nervous system. … 3 Parasympathetic nervous system. … 4 Functions of divisions of the ANS. …
The autonomic nervous system operates by receiving information from the environment and from other parts of the body.