The Nervous System Flashcards
The Human Nervous System.
The nervous system permits the body to react and adjust to changes in the outside environment and within the body.
Sensory stimuli recieved by the body is combined with existing information before coordinating the muscles and glands to respond in an appropriate way.
Function is to:
Receive sensory information
Integrate and process information, and coordinate a response.
The Human Nervous System Diagram
The Central Nervous System (The CNS)
-Comprised of the brain and spinal cord.
- It processes and coordinates all incoming sensory information and intiates outgoing motor messages sent to the body.
These can be concious (voluntary) or unconscious (automatic, involuntary) movements.
CNS -> The Brain
The brain communicates with the body via the spinal cord and its nerves.
CNS -> The Spinal Cord
Sits inside of the spinal column/spine and is the column of nerve fibres extending from base of brain to lower back.
How is the brain involved in integrating and coordinating responses?
Responding: acting as a result of sensory stimuli being detected
Integrating: bringing sensory information together to result in understanding and interpretation
Coordinating: working with other areas of the NS to juggle various sensory information and tasks
The Peripheral Nervous System
The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is comprised of all the neurons outside of the central nervous system.
It works with the CNS to enable you to interact with the environment.
The main function of the PNS is to carry messages to and from the CNS. That is, the PNS:
- Detects and sends sensory messages from the body and outside world to the CNS
- To send motor information from the CNS to the muscles, glands and organs in the body.
Divisions of the Peripheral Nervous System
There are two divisions of the Peripheral Nervous System:
1. The Somatic Nervous System
2. The Autonomic Nervous System
PNS-> The Somatic Nervous System
