Peripheral Nervous Stystem and Basic Behaviours Flashcards
Peripheral nervous system
A complex system of nerves that exist outside of the central nervous system
Branches of the PNS
Somatic Nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
Somatic nervous system
Skeletal muscles, under voluntary control, motor and sensory nerves. Walking, exercising, intentional movements are all controlled by the somatic system
Autonomic nervous system
Parallel to spinal cord, smooth muscles. Under involuntary control, digestion breathing, heart rate are all regulated by the autonomic system. ANS is responsible for homeostasis and is further broken down into two branches
Sympathetic nervous system: alert system activated when we need to react (stress response fight/flight) activation / arousal system (activated when experiencing an emotion
Parasympathetic nervous system: rest and digest system - inhibits actions or helps body return to homeostasis
And the enteric nervous system
Reflexes
Are simple responses to the environment. One stimulus = one response
No cerebral cortex involvement in reflexes
Infant reflexes
Infants are born with a number of reflexes focussed on survival that disappear over time
Motor reflex (startle response)
Rooting reflex ( to find nipple)
Sucking reflex (aid feeding)
Grasping reflex (palmar hand - plantar foot)
Driving reflex (hold breathe under water, breather when air flows over face)
Tonic neck position
Instincts
More than a single stimulus response but are still not learnt
Salmon spawning - returning to the same breeding grounds every year
Turtle hatchlings heading towards the sea
Whales migrating
