the nervous system Flashcards
what are the divisions of the nervous system
the nervous system is split into:
- central nervous system
- peripheral nervous system
the pns is split into:
- somatic nervous system
- autonomic nervous system
the ans is split into:
- sympathetic nervous system
- parasympathetic nervous system
what does the central nervous system consist of?
the brain
- provides conscious awareness
- involved in all psychological processes
- 4 main lobes (frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital)
spinal cord:
- transfers messages between the brain and your body
- responsible for simple reflex actions that don’t involve the brain
peripheral nervous system
relays messages between the cns and the rest of the body
somatic nervous system
- facilitates communication between the cns and the outside world
- made of sensory receptors that take info to the cns, and motor pathways that let the brain control movement
automatic nervous system
- involved in the process of homeostasis
- only consists of motor pathways
sympathetic nervous system
- prepares the body for fight or flight
- impulses will travel from here to organs
- heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure all increase
- less important functions like salivation, digestion and urinating desires are suppressed
parasympathetic nervous system
- relaxes the body after the fight or flight response, returning it to its natural state
- heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure all decrease
- functions that were suppressed will return back to normal
