Nervous System Flashcards
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Components: Brain and Spinal Cord
Functions: Source of thoughts, emotions and memories
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
Components: all nervous tissue outside the CNS, nerves, ganglia enteric plexus and sensory receptors
One function: Somatic
(Voluntary) consists of sensory neurons that convey info from somatic receptors in the head, body wall, and limbs and from receptors for vision, hearing, taste, and smell, to the CNS and motor neurons that conduct impulses from the CNS to skeletal muscles only
2nd function: Autonomic
(Involuntary) consists of sensory neurons that convey info from the autonomic sensory receptors in visceral organs (stomach and lungs) to the CNS and motor neurons that conduct nerve impulses from the CBS to smooth & cardiac muscles and glands
Autonomic Systemic
“fight-and-flight” response, helps support exercise of emergency actions
Autonomic Parasympathetic
“rest-and-digest” actions
Enteric (PNS)
(Involuntary) “brain of the gut” extend most of the length of the gastrointestinal tract.
Brain
The part of the central nervous system contained within the cranial cavity
Cranial Nerves
Supply sensory and motor neurons to the head
Nerve
A bundle of hundreds of thousands of axons plus associated connective tissue and blood vessels that lie outside the brain and spinal cord
Spinal Cord
Mass of nerve tissue located in vertebral canal
Ganglia
Small masses of nervous tissue consisting primarily of neuron cell bodies
Sensory Receptors
A structure of the nervous system that monitors changes in the external or internal environment
Functions of the nervous system
- Sensory function
- Integrative function
- Motor function
Neurologist
Deals with normal functioning and disorders of the nervous system
