The nervous system Flashcards
What are the two major parts of the nervous system?
The central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).
What is the central nervous system made up of?
The spinal cord and the brain.
How is the CNS connected to the rest of the body?
The CNS is connected to the rest of the body by the PNS.
What is the Peripheral nervous system made up of?
The Peripheral nervous system is made up of thick bundles of axons, called nerves, carrying messages back and forth between the CNS and the muscles, organs, and senses in the periphery of the body.
What are the two major subdivisions of the Peripheral nervous system?
The somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
What is the Somatic nervous system?
The SNS associated with activities traditionally thought of as conscious and voluntary.
What does the Somatic nervous system consist of?
It consists of sensory and motor neurones.
What is the Autonomic nervous system?
The autonomic nervous system controls our internal organs and glands and is considered to be involuntary
What is the Autonomic nervous system made up of?
It is made up of sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.
What role does the sympathetic nervous play?
It prepares us for stress-related activities.
What role does the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) play?
It is associated with returning the body to routine, day-to-day operations.
What is homeostasis?
A state of equilibrium, in which biological conditions (such as body temperature) are maintained at optimal levels.
What is the name of the subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that is is associated with returning the body to routine, day-to-day operations?
The parasympathetic nervous system
What is the name for the state of optimum that body levels are maintained at?
Homeostasis
The Brain?
The brain is a very complex organ made up of billions of interconnected neurons.
- It is a bilateral, or two-sided, structure that can be separated into distinct lobes.
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is what connects the brain to the outside world, and allows the brain to act.
- It routes messages to and from the brain but has its own system of automatic process, called reflexes.
Reflexes
Reflexes are reactions to stimuli that are rapid and automatic as sensory input is immediately acted upon by the spinal cord without input from the brain.
Why are spinal reflexes important?
Spinal reflexes are very important for survival because they allow the body to react very quickly.
What are some characteristics of the brain
- Lobed
- Complex organ
- Bilateral
What is the PNS (parasympathetic nervous system) also referred to as?
Rest and digest system
Which of these is the sympathetic nervous system involved in?
- Increasing heart rate
- Increasing blood pressure
- Fight or flight, emergency responses
What body responses does the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) slow?
- Digestion
- Urination
What are the 4 main areas of the brain?
- The cerebrum (left and right cerebral hemispheres)
- The cerebellum (balances and coordination
- The diencephalon
- The brain stem (regulates autonominc functions like breathing, heartbeat and swallowing.)
The cerebrum
Made up of the right and left cerebal hemispheres which are connected by the corpus callosum. They have FOUR lobes each, which have specialist functions e.g
- Frontal lobe (though and sppech producton
- Occipital lobe (Visual processing)
- The diencephalon
- The hypothalamus
The diencephalon
Made up of
- The thalamus (relay of impluses from sensory neurons)
The hypothalmus (regulates body temperature and other homeostatic functions, links to the endocrine system via the pitutary gland)
What is the main neurotransitter is the perpheral nervous system?
- Noradrenealine is the main neurotransmitter
Increases HR dialites blood vessels and pupils,slows down non emergency processes like digestion
What is the main neurotransmitter is the parasymapthetic nervous sstem?
Acetylcholine
Slows heart beat, reduces blood pressure and restores digestive processes to normal
