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Glite Dictionary
🔤 Short for system 🧠 Nervous system part
ANS

ANS

5.8
The part of the body that automatically controls heartbeat, breathing, and digestion
  • symbol
  • Specialized
translation icon : SNA
  • The ANS regulates heart rate and digestion.

Examples

  • Stress can cause the ANS to trigger a fight-or-flight response.

  • Doctors study the ANS to understand disorders affecting involuntary body functions.

  • The ANS regulates heart rate, digestion, and breathing automatically.

  • Doctors study the ANS to understand involuntary functions.

  • The ANS regulates heart rate, digestion, and breathing automatically.

  • Doctors study the ANS to understand disorders affecting involuntary body functions.

  • Stress can cause the ANS to trigger a fight-or-flight response.

Synonyms

autonomic nervous system
vsANS
  • Specialized
2 4.2

The part of the body that controls heart rate, breathing and digestion without thinking

means the same but is the abbreviated written form

Surface Forms

ANS main

Morphology

ANS = autonomic + nervous + system (opaque) = A + N + S

The symbol is formed from the initials of 'autonomic nervous system', so the expansion directly describes the concept but consists of technical vocabulary that many learners may not know.

Etymology

ANS is an abbreviation for 'autonomic nervous system', and the word autonomic comes from auto- 'self' and -nomic 'rule', which helps you remember that the ANS is the body's automatic system that keeps breathing, heartbeat and digestion running on their own.