Question 20

Describe the anatomy of the sympathetic nervous system.

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College Answer

A definition of the sympathetic system, followed by a systematic description of the central 
sympathetic centres; what happens at the spinal cord; the anatomy of the pre and post 
ganglionic fibres would have been awarded with a pass mark. Additional information about 
the sympathetic ganglia and the neurotransmitters involved would have rounded off a good 
answer.
Many answers lacked anatomical detail and described the actions (function) of the 
sympathetic system which was not asked for.
Most answers lacked any structure. The most common reason for not passing this question 
was that significant sections of the anatomy from central to peripheral were not mentioned. 
Most had a simple sketch understanding of the question asked but could not add enough of 
the next layer to be awarded a pass mark.