25. Intro to Nervous System Flashcards
What makes up the CNS versus the PNS?
CNS - brain and spinal cord
PNS - everything else
What is the function of the CNS?
In-charge of interpreting, sorting, and integrating information (brain), and interfacing of signals to the PNS (spinal cord).
What is part of the PNS?
- Cranial nerves: nerves from the brain
- spinal nerves: nerves from the spinal cord
How do the CNS and PNS work together?
The CNS and PNS can send and receive signals to and from one another.
Explain sensory input.
Sensing the envrionment through sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin).
* done by PNS sensory receptors
Explain integration.
The CNS integrates and processes the information that comes from sensory input of PNS.
* occurs in the CNS.
Explain motor output.
Motor output is when the body responds to the stimuli.
* The PNS transfers information from the CNS to the effectors
Identify sensory input, integration, and motor output of a baseball player hitting a ball.
Sensory input: the batter sees the pitch.
integration: the batter predicts where the ball will go and gets ready to swing.
Motor output: the batter swings the bat and gets a hit.
CNS: What is the function of the brain?
- receives and processes sensory information (from PNS)
- initiates responses (to PNS)
- stores memories
- generates thoughts and emotions
CNS: What is the function of the spinal cord?
- conducts signals to and from the brain
- controls reflex activities
PNS: What are the functions of sensory organs?
- aka afferent neurons
- signals from sensory organs in the peripheral tissues to the CNS (Sensory organs –> CNS)
- ex: cardiac, smooth muscle, skin, joints, and skeletal muscle
PNS: What are the functions of motor neurons?
- aka efferent neurons
- Signal from the CNS to peripheral tissues (CNS –> peripheral tissues)
- ex: skeletal, cardiac, smooth muscle, and glands
PNS: What are the functions of sensory organs?
Afferent (sensory) neurons in your skin let your brain know that the sun feels warm.
PNS: What is the function of motor neurons?
Efferent (motor) neurons tell your skeletal muscle it’s time to go inside.
PNS: Describe the somatic nervous system.
Controls voluntary movements
* Includes skeletal muscles, sensory organs, and afferent and efferent neurons.
* Initiates new activity
PNS: Describe the autonomic nervous system.
Controls involuntary responses
* involves: smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and exocrine glands (aka visceral effectors)
* also includes afferent and efferent neurons
Explain the somatic and autonomic nervous system using a dog eating ice cream as an example.
SNS: the dog voluntarily eats the ice cream.
ANS: the dog involuntarily digests the ice cream.
How many neurons are involved in the SNS?
1 neuron
How many neurons are involved in the ANS?
2 neurons
How many neurons are involved in the ANS?
2 neurons
What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic: fight or flight
Parasympathetic: rest or digest
What is the relation between sympathetic/parasympathetic innervation of organs?
Most organs receive both sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation, but these tend to function antagonistic of each other.
Describe/draw the flowchart of the nervous system and its divisions.
D. Spinal cord
B. Sensory traffic light
A. The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system.
B. The sympthetic division of the autonomic nervous system.
