Models of the mind and organisation of the NS Flashcards
Central nervous system
Contains the brain and the spinal cord (including the retinal cells within the eyeball)
The brain is encased by the skull while the spinal cord sits within the vertebrae which allows both protection and flexibility in a moving body
Peripheral nervous system
Networks of nerves existing out from the CNS and throughout the body
Sends messages fro the brain to control muscle movement
Receives sensory info about body position, pain, temp and transmit to CNS
somatic nervous system
Efferent nerve fibres send signals from the rain to muscle
Afferent nerve fibres send signals from the peripheral sensory areas to communicate from sense modalities back to brain
Also includes spinal nerves that extend from vertebrae
Receives sensory info from the snesort organs and controls movement of skeletal muscle
Autonomic nervous system
Mediate non-voluntary
Consists of the parasympathetic and sympathetic
Also includes the enteric nervous system which supports digestion
Parasympathetic: homeostasis
Sympathetic nervous system
Involuntary by controlling smooth mucus
Preganglionic sympathetic neurons in the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord send signals to the peripheral nervous system
Some sends to clusters of neuronal cell bodies that runs fown the side of the spinal column
Send to target tissue
Constriction of vessels
Other pre ganglionci neurons sendsn signals to post ganglionic neurons in ganglia close to target organs where they conducted processes low priority in times of stress
A third group of pre ganglionic neurons travel directly to adrenal gland to stimulate production of hormeos that mediate stress response
The enteric nervous system
Extends from somatic NS and splits into para and sympathetic NS
Can act semi independently
Has its own reflexes and can sense/act independently of the brain - only part of the pns that can act autonomously
Nearly every neurotransmitter found in the rain is also found in the gut
Plays a major role in emotions and stress
Ens does not just help digestion 90% of connections between the brain and gut go from the gut to the rain
Aspects of comparative neuroanatomy
Size doesnt matter: intelligence is not proportional to brain size and is usually scaled with boy size
Numbers count: the more neurons within the brain and the greater number of synaptic connections between neurons the greater the complexity of function that the brain can support
Brains support functional specialization: animals that have particular types of skills or requirements have relatively larger brain areas dedicated to that particular function
