Which tissue is primarily controlled by the autonomic nervous system?

Which tissue is primarily controlled by the autonomic nervous system?

• A. Smooth muscle tissue
• B. Cardiac muscle tissue
• C. Skeletal muscle tissue
• D. Nervous tissue

Answer: (A)

Autonomic nervous system controls involuntary effectors, especially those that operate without conscious input. Smooth muscle tissue is the primary target because it makes up the walls of hollow organs and vessels, and its contraction or relaxation is regulated automatically by autonomic nerves. This allows automatic adjustments of things like digestion, blood flow, and airway tone. Cardiac muscle also receives autonomic input to fine-tune heart rate and force, but its baseline activity is largely governed by intrinsic pacemaker activity and conduction pathways, with autonomic signals modulating rather than driving it. Skeletal muscle is under voluntary control by the somatic nervous system, so it is not primarily autonomic. Nervous tissue contains the neurons that carry autonomic commands; while autonomic signals run through it, this tissue isn’t the primary target of autonomic control in the same sense as smooth muscle.

Autonomic nervous system controls involuntary effectors, especially those that operate without conscious input. Smooth muscle tissue is the primary target because it makes up the walls of hollow organs and vessels, and its contraction or relaxation is regulated automatically by autonomic nerves. This allows automatic adjustments of things like digestion, blood flow, and airway tone. Cardiac muscle also receives autonomic input to fine-tune heart rate and force, but its baseline activity is largely governed by intrinsic pacemaker activity and conduction pathways, with autonomic signals modulating rather than driving it. Skeletal muscle is under voluntary control by the somatic nervous system, so it is not primarily autonomic. Nervous tissue contains the neurons that carry autonomic commands; while autonomic signals run through it, this tissue isn’t the primary target of autonomic control in the same sense as smooth muscle.