The part of the PNS that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs is the?

The part of the PNS that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs is the?

• A. Autonomic nervous system
• B. Somatic nervous system
• C. Central nervous system
• D. Enteric nervous system

Answer: (A)

The part of the nervous system that handles involuntary control of glands and the smooth muscles of internal organs is the autonomic nervous system. This system governs functions you don’t consciously control, like digestion, heart rate, and gland secretions, by sending signals to glands and to the smooth muscle in organs. It operates through its two main branches—sympathetic and parasympathetic—to ramp up or wind down these activities as needed. The somatic nervous system, in contrast, controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles. The central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) processes information but isn’t the peripheral regulator that directly manages internal organ activity. The enteric nervous system is a specialized network within the gut that can function somewhat independently to manage GI activity, but it’s still considered part of the broader autonomic system.

The part of the nervous system that handles involuntary control of glands and the smooth muscles of internal organs is the autonomic nervous system. This system governs functions you don’t consciously control, like digestion, heart rate, and gland secretions, by sending signals to glands and to the smooth muscle in organs. It operates through its two main branches—sympathetic and parasympathetic—to ramp up or wind down these activities as needed. The somatic nervous system, in contrast, controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles. The central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) processes information but isn’t the peripheral regulator that directly manages internal organ activity. The enteric nervous system is a specialized network within the gut that can function somewhat independently to manage GI activity, but it’s still considered part of the broader autonomic system.