How is the Digestive Process Controlled, Neurologicaly?

Digestive system is well controlled and maintained by autonomic nervous system. Autonomic Nervous System is the branch of Peripheral Nervous System. Different organs of the body are being controlled by the 12 different cranial nerves.

The vagus nerve is the longest of the cranial nerves, or nerves originating in the brain, and extends through the abdomen to control, organize the physical and chemical release and functions.

 The Enteric Nervous System- The Gut Brain.

The enteric nervous system is the collection of neurons in the gastrointestinal tract that constitutes t
he "brain of the gut" and can function independently of the central nervous system.

This system controls the motility, exocrine and endocrine secretions, and micro circulation of the gastrointestinal tract.

The enteric nervous system closely resembles the central nervous system. It contain some 100 million neurons.

In the enteric nervous system, the nerve-cell bodies are grouped into small ganglia that are connected by bundles of nerve processes forming two major plexuses, called the

1. Myenteric (or Auerbach's) plexus
2. The Submucous (or Meissner's) plexus.

The Myenteric Plexus: lies between the longitudinal and circular layers of muscles and extends the entire length of the gut. It primarily provides motor innervation to the two muscle layers and secretomotor innervation to the mucosa.
The Submucous Plexus:  located in the submucosa between the circular muscle layer and the muscularis mucosa, is the best developed in the small intestine, where it plays an important part in secretory control.