that portion of the
autonomic nervous system (also called the parasympathetic system) which produces involuntary responses from the
body such as dilation of the blood vessels, an increasing of the activity of the digestive and reproductive organs and glands, contraction of the pupils of the eyes, slowing down of the heart
beat, and many others. See also
autonomic in this glossary.
n. pertaining to the
craniosacral system, that part of the
body's
nervous system mainly concerned with
handling the
body's everyday function of excreting waste products. This system is most
active during sleep and
acts to subdue heart rate and to stimulate the organs of the digestive system, such as the stomach and intestines. It is called the
craniosacral system because the nerves of this system
originate from the cranial (cranial meaning of the skull) and sacral regions (sacral meaning in the
area of the sacrum, a bone at the lower end of the spine).