Unexpected roles for the second brain: enteric nervous system as master regulator of bowel function
S Schneider, CM Wright… - Annual review of …, 2019 - annualreviews.org
At the most fundamental level, the bowel facilitates absorption of small molecules, regulates
fluid and electrolyte flux, and eliminates waste. To successfully coordinate this complex
array of functions, the bowel relies on the enteric nervous system (ENS), an intricate network
of more than 500 million neurons and supporting glia that are organized into distinct layers
or plexi within the bowel wall. Neuron and glial diversity, as well as neurotransmitter and
receptor expression in the ENS, resembles that of the central nervous system. The most …
fluid and electrolyte flux, and eliminates waste. To successfully coordinate this complex
array of functions, the bowel relies on the enteric nervous system (ENS), an intricate network
of more than 500 million neurons and supporting glia that are organized into distinct layers
or plexi within the bowel wall. Neuron and glial diversity, as well as neurotransmitter and
receptor expression in the ENS, resembles that of the central nervous system. The most …
