The Nervous System and Sexual Function

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The nervous system is divided into three components: the central nervous system, which encompasses the brain, brain stem, and the spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system, which includes the sensory receptors and effector muscles and organs in the body, and the autonomic nervous system which is part of both the peripheral and central nervous system and controls visceral and largely unconscious functions (Barker & Barasi, 2005). The sexual response activates all these systems. (a) The central nervous system, (b) The peripheral nervous system (a) The autonomic nervous system controls the smooth muscles and secretions in all the male reproductive organs (Dail, 1993). This includes the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems discussed later. It is part of the peripheral nervous system but also considered by many to also be part of the cerntral nervous system. For the purposes of this essay, it will be included in the section with the peripheral nervous system. This essay will explore the time course of penile arousal and erection, beginning at the supraspinal level, that is, the brain component of the central nervous system, and following it down to the post- ganglionic mechanisms of erection in the penis via the actions of the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems. It should be noted that this is not the only route that erection can occur through: reflex erections can occur from penile stimulation through a one-step afferent pathway that bypasses the autonomic and most cerebral systems, but this will not be discussed presently. However, most erections are a combination of these two pathways (Steer, 2000), so a later consideration of this second pathway may become prudent. Central nervous system The normal psychogenic pathwa... ... middle of paper ... ...eletal muscles, including the larynx and pharynx. The sacral PNS areas are most related to sexual arousal and activity. The sacral plexus, comprising sacral nerves S2-S4, innervates the genitals (Lue et al., 1983), with the preganglionic neurons running from the pelvic nerves to the pelvic plexus where they meet sympathetic neurons and merge to form the cavernous nerves (Steer, 2000). These cavernous nerves exit the pelvic plexus via the pelvic fascia, fuse with the prostatic capsule, and enter the penis through a variety of routes including through the levator ani and urethra, through entering the corpus spongiousum, or to the penile crura The PNS additionally receives information from the somatic pudendal nerve, which receives sensory information from and additionally innervates the penis, as well as possibly from hypogastric nerve afferents (Rosen & Sachs, 2000).

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