Development of the Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system regulates the function of internal organs. ere are three main divisions of the peripheral autonomic nervous system, namely the sympa- thetic and parasympathetic divisions and the enteric nervous system, which arise from the neural crest. In this chapter the processes and mechanisms controlling the develop- ment of sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric neurons including their migratory pathways and neuronal differentiation, and the main signaling pathways involved in the development of each division, are reviewed. A brief discussion is also provided of the diseases caused by defects in the development of peripheral autonomic neurons.