Outline the role and organisation of the autonomic nervous system in mammals

The are two main areas of the autonomic nervous system are the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems. These are contrasting pathways and their main function is to regulate internal organ function and manage the areas of the body we do not consciously control. Examples of this include changing the body temperature, sending extra blood to particular areas of the body and slowing heartbeat.
The sympathetic nervous system controls your fight or flight response, where as your parasympathetic nervous system controls your resting heartbeat and digestion. Examples of the two contrasting systems include: sympathetic nervous system dilates your pupils where as the parasympathetic nervous system constricts them and the sympathetic nervous releases glucose from the liver, where as the parasympathetic nervous system causes the uptake of glucose to the liver.