structure and function of nervous sytem Flashcards
Nervous system
- responsible for all aspects of thought, emotion and behaviour
- communication system between internal cells and organs of the body and environment
- it receives, process and coordinates a response to information
Receiving information
- sensory info is received from the external environment through nerve cells located in sense organs
- info can be received within internal environment of the body (organs, glands, joints, muscles)
processing information
received info is made sense of in the brain
- this requires encoding, interpreting and applying meaning to the information
coordinating a response
once the info has been interpreted, the brain will then produce a response
- often involved outwards, directly observable behaviours and action
components of central nervous system and peripheral nervous system nervous system
CNS - brain and spinal cord
PNS - autonomic(sympathetic and parasympathetic) and somatic. the spinal cords is connected to other nerves to make PNS
Central nervous system
- central to our mental processes and behaviours
- how we think and surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid
- encased in bones: brain- cranium(skull) and spinal cord: vertebrae(spine)
brain
vital role to process info
spinal cord
-long thin bundle of specialised nerve cells extending from the brain to the lower bacl
functions: receives sensory information from the body (PNS) and sends to brain
or received motor information from the brain and send it to relevant parts of the body ( through PNS)
bridge between pns and brain
peripheral nervous system
all neurons outside the CNS are part of the pNS
- message are taken from the CNS to the body or from the body to the CNS
- divided into Autonomic NS and Somatic NS
Somatic nervous system
- network of neurons that carry sensory information to the CNS and motor information from the CNS.
- motor neurons make up the motor neural pathways carrying messages required for voluntary movement
autonomic nervous system
network of neurons that relay info between the CNS nad the vital organs and glands.
called autonomic as it is self-regulating
Sympathetic nervous system
excites the body when we experience a extreme emotion or feel threatened
Parasympathetic nervous system
Calms or restores the body to its normal state of functioning after an extreme emotion subsides or threat has passed
