Chapter 2 - The Nervous system Flashcards
What is the the human nervous system?
a network of neurons that enable the brain to receive and respond to information and stimuli appropriately and maintain bodily functions.
What are the function s of the human nervous system?
- receive information
- process information
- coordinate a response to information
What is the Central nervous system (CNS) ?
The brain and spinal cord, responsible for transmitting and receiving neural messages to and from the peripheral nervous system.
What does the brain do in CNS?
• Brain: controls the activity of entire nervous system and is responsible for initiating and processing actions, thoughts and behaviours.
What does the spinal cord do in CNS?
a long cable of nerve tissue (neurons) part of the CNS connecting the brain to the PNS responsible for sending motor information to the body and sensory information to the brain.
What is the peripheral nervous system?
The peripheral nervous system are all the nerves outside the CNS responsible for transmitting information to and from the CNS.
What is the somatic nervous system?
A subdivision of the PNS responsible for sending motor information from the CNS to the body’s skeletal muscle, bringing sensory information from the body to the CNS in order to coordinate voluntary responses.
What neurons are involved in SNS and what are their functions?
- Sensory Neurons (afferent neurons): Neurons that transmit sensory neural messages via afferent pathway from the sensory receptors of the PNS to the CNS.
- Motor Neurons (efferent neurons) : Neurons that transmit motor neural messages from the CNS to the PNS.
what is the Autonomic nervous system
A subdivision of the PNS that connects the CNS and the body’s visceral (non-skeletal organs), muscles and glands to regulate the internal bodily functions.
How can the ANS be consciously controlled?
• The ANS can be partially controlled by the brain
o Using biofeedback, we can control some ANS functions
o Such as heart rate
What is the Sympathetic nervous system and what does it do?
A branch of the ANS responsible for activating the body’s visceral organs, muscles and glands for increased activity or under threat/stress during the fight-flight-freeze response.
define the fight-flight-freeze response?
Fight-flight freeze response: initiated by the sympathetic division of the ANS and prepares the body to confront a stressful situation, to optimise chance of survival.
What is the Parasympathetic nervous system?
A branch of the ANS responsible for restoring homeostasis and maintaining the body’s organs, muscles and glands at optimal and balanced functioning after increased activity or state of arousal.
What is conscious and unconscious response?
Conscious response: is a reaction that involves awareness and is likely to be.
- voluntary, goal directed and involve a level of control by the individual
- somatic nervous system controls voluntary conscious responses.
Unconscious response is a reaction that does not involve awareness it is.
- involuntary, unintentional, automatic (often reflexive)
- autonomic nervous system controls these bodily responses.
what is a reflex?
Reflexes are a unconscious and involuntary response, they are unlearned and innate and tend to be simple behaviours that contribute to safety and survival.
