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Glite Dictionary
🔤 Short for system 🧠 Nervous system part
ANS

ANS

7.3
The part of the body that controls automatic actions like heartbeat and digestion
  • noun
  • /ˈeɪˌɛnˈɛs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : SNA
  • The ANS helps maintain our heart rate and digestion without us having to think about it.

Examples

  • All these things - endocrine system, hormonal system, CNS, ANS, etc. - are influenced by our training.

    Blog text (19)

  • Studies such as these highlight the importance of the use of interventions that target regulation of the ANS.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Doctors study the ANS to better understand how the body controls automatic functions.

  • When the ANS is not working properly, it can lead to problems like fainting or irregular heartbeats.

Synonyms

autonomic nervous system
vsANS
  • Specialized
2 4.2

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

is the same system but examples focus on gland activity instead of breathing

Surface Forms

ANS singular
ANS plural

Morphology

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

The term 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 names the part of the nervous system called the autonomic system; auto- means 'self' and -nomic comes from a word for 'rule', so the ANS works like an internal 'self-rule' or automatic pilot that controls heart rate, digestion and other actions without thinking.