When we take a bite of food, complex machinery whirs into action: our digestive system passes the food to different locations, churning, mixing, and mulching it into a form that our body cells can absorb. At the same time, unwanted and leftover waste is passed into a waste disposal pipeline and flushed out.
All these processes are orchestrated to work rhythmically, and with clockwork precision, thanks to a network of neurons called the enteric plexus or the enteric nervous system in the gut.
The enteric nerves work in tandem with the brain and spinal cord. “The enteric nervous system is a part of the peripheral nervous system which maintains the smooth coordination between the brain and the body,” says Dr Shabari Girishan, consultant in epilepsy and functional neurosurgery, Ramaiah Memorial Hospitals, Bengaluru. He adds that like parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves, enteric nerves are not in direct control of the brain. Due to this reason, the enteric nervous system is also known as the “second brain of the body.”
Enteric nerves are spread throughout the wall of the digestive system from the food pipe to the anus regulating various functions at different stages of digestion. It includes the movement of the food pipe (oesophagus) called peristalsis, the movement of gut muscles and the production of digestive juices that help break down food.
Different types of enteric neurons govern all these complex functions, and groups of these neurons arrange to form plexes, which carry out specific functions.
The infographic below is representative of the enteric nervous system and its functions.
You can also read more about sympathetic nerves.
