Anatom3DEnteric nervous system
Systema nervosum entericum · Střevní nervový systém
Nervous system
Looks like
A mesh of hundreds of millions of nerve cells in the wall of the gut from gullet to anus.
What it does
Runs the gut's squeezing, secretion and blood flow on its own, taking cues from the brain.
Keeping it well
Missing nerve cells at birth cause Hirschsprung disease; its oversensitivity is part of irritable bowel syndrome. A newborn not passing meconium in the first 48 hours needs checking.
Related conditions
- Amyloidosis (AL and ATTR)
- Botulism
- Chickenpox (varicella)
- Chronic neuropathic pain
- Chronic pain syndrome
- Crohn's disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Gastroparesis
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Hirschsprung's disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Lyme disease
- Myasthenia gravis
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Rabies
- Restless legs syndrome
- Shingles (herpes zoster)
- Tetanus
- Vitamin B1, C and other deficiencies