autonomic
adj.describing a system in your body that works automatically without you thinking about it. It controls things like your heartbeat and breathing.
adj.relating to the part of the nervous system that controls involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiration. Often used in medical or physiological contexts to describe processes that occur independently of conscious will.
“The autonomic nervous system controls your heartbeat.”
“During a stressful situation, the autonomic system triggers a physical response that prepares the body for action.”
“While the somatic system handles voluntary movements like walking, the autonomic system manages the internal environment, ensuring that vital organs function correctly without conscious intervention.”
“One of the proteins helps activate a range of neuropeptides involved in stress responses, anxiety, vascular tone, and autonomic nervous system activity.”
From autonomy + -ic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.