<P> Although the ANS is also known as the visceral nervous system, the ANS is only connected with the motor side . Most autonomous functions are involuntary but they can often work in conjunction with the somatic nervous system which provides voluntary control . </P> <P> The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system . The sympathetic division emerges from the spinal cord in the thoracic and lumbar areas, terminating around L2 - 3 . The parasympathetic division has craniosacral "outflow", meaning that the neurons begin at the cranial nerves (specifically the oculomotor nerve, facial nerve, glossopharyngeal nerve and vagus nerve) and sacral (S2 - S4) spinal cord . </P> <P> The autonomic nervous system is unique in that it requires a sequential two - neuron efferent pathway; the preganglionic neuron must first synapse onto a postganglionic neuron before innervating the target organ . The preganglionic, or first, neuron will begin at the "outflow" and will synapse at the postganglionic, or second, neuron's cell body . The postganglionic neuron will then synapse at the target organ . </P> <P> The sympathetic nervous system consists of cells with bodies in the lateral grey column from T1 to L2 / 3 . These cell bodies are "GVE" (general visceral efferent) neurons and are the preganglionic neurons . There are several locations upon which preganglionic neurons can synapse for their postganglionic neurons: </P>

Explain the actions of the autonomic nervous system