The autonomic nervous system is included in the peripheral system and is largely unconscious. It controls vital body functions such as heart rate, swallowing, breathing, digestion, and arousal.
The typical incubation period for a cold is 1-3 days. This means that it takes between 24 and 72 hours from the time you are exposed to the virus until you start to experience symptoms. Of course, this doesn't mean you will get sick every time you are exposed to a cold virus.
Shake hands or use the telephone right after that sneezing secretary, then touch your eyes, and you've got it, babe. Depending on the specific germ, the incubation period is between 12 hours and 5 days, usually 48 hours. To answer your question, the common cold is contagious between 24 hours before onset of symptoms until 5 days after onset. Like everything else this varies depending on the organism, but that's a pretty safe estimate.