Enteric nervous system
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The enteric nervous system (ENS) is an interdependent part of the autonomic nervous system. Despite its many interactions with other parts of the ANS, it can be regarded as a nerval body of its own. Its functioning is still subject to research in neurogastroenterology. It has as many as 1 billion neurons, one hundredth of the number of neurons in the brain.
The ENS is comprised of two layers:
- One is the myenteric plexus that lies between the layers of circular and longitudinal muscle lining the gut wall.
- The second is the submucosal plexus that is found between the layer of circular muscle and the submucosa.
Sources
- The book The Second Brain by Dr. Michael D. Gershon
- [New York Times] The Other Brain Also Deals With Many Woes "The role of the enteric nervous system is to manage every aspect of digestion, from the esophagus to the stomach, small intestine and colon. The second brain, or little brain, accomplishes all that with the same tools as the big brain, a sophisticated nearly self-contained network of neural circuitry, neurotransmitters and proteins."
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