Chapter 3: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE PNS

Question 1

What is the general function of cranial nerves?

Answer 1

• Twelve pairs attached to ventral surface of the brain.

- Most serve sensory and motor functions of the head and neck region

Question 2

What is the vagus nerve and what is it’s function?

Answer 2

• 10h cranial nerve

- regulates the functions of organs in the thoracic and abdominal cavities.

Question 3

What is the function of olfactory bulbs?

Answer 3

-receives olfactory information from the nose

Question 4

What is the itinerary of spinal nerves?

Answer 4

leave vertebral column and travel to the muscles or sensory receptors they innervate, branching repeatedly as they go.

Question 5

What are afferent axons ?

Answer 5

axon directed toward the central nervous system conveying sensory information.

Question 6

What are efferent axons?

Answer 6

axon directed away from the CNS conveying motor commands to muscles and glands.

Question 7

What is contained in the dorsal root ganglia ?

Answer 7

the cell bodies that give rise to the axons that bring somatosensory info to the spinal cord.

Question 8

What is the autonomic nervous system and what does it consist of ?

Answer 8

• branch of PNS concerned with regulation of smooth muscle, cardiac muscle and glands.
• two separate systems: sympathetic and parasympathetic

Question 9

What is the function of the sympathetic division ?

Answer 9

• involved with activities associated with the expenditure of energy from reserves that are stored in the body
• coordinator of fight, flight or freeze reponse.