Regulation of autonomic nervous system activityIntroductionThe autonomic nervous system (ANS) is largely regulated by autonomic reflexes and by many of these reflexes; sensory information is transmitted to the hypothalamus and brainstem which are considered the control centers of our body (McCorry, 2006). Many of us know the ANS as the involuntary nervous system. The ANS innervates the cardiac muscle, smooth muscles, endocrine and exocrine glands; therefore it contributes significantly to homeostasis (McCorry, 2006). Most sensory inputs come from the thoracic and abdominal viscera and are transmitted to the brainstem by afferent fibers of cranial nerve X which is the vagus nerve. After the input is integrated, the response is made by the transmission of nerve signals from the preganglionic autonomic neurons. So what are some functions of the autonomic nervous system you might ask? Blushing (my favorite) is a response of the frontal cortex and involves vasodilation of the blood vessels in the face. Others may include fainting and fast heartbeat or increased blood...