The Peripheral Nervous System Flashcards
The Somatic Nervous System
The Somatic Nervous System (SNS) includes all parts of the nervous system that enable the body to changes to the external environment
What is the SNS made up of
The SNS is made up of the following:
Free nerve endings and sense organs which pick up changes in the environment
Sensory nerves that carry impulses from the receptors
Motor nerves which carry impulses back to muscles or glands
Effectors (Muscles or Glands) which react to these impulses
what is the Autonomic Nervous System made up of
The Autonomic Nervous System is made up of the following:
Centres in the brain and spinal Cord
Nerve Cells in smooth muscles, glands and internal organs
The Main Function of the Autonomic Nervous System
The main function of the Autonomic Nervous System is to control the sub-conscious activities of the body (e.g. heartbeat, peristalsis, dilation of heart vessels)
In this way, it helps to restore homeostasis
What is the Reflex Action
Reflex Action may be defined as a rapid (involuntary) response to a stimulus received by an organ or other receptor
What is an Reflex Arc
Reflex Arc is the functional unit of the nervous system
It is the path taken by an impulse in bringing about a response to a stimulus during a reflex action
What does the reflex Arc invovle
The reflex arc involves:
The central Nervous System (Spinal Cord)
The Peripheral Nervous System (Spinal Nerves with three types of neurons)
A receptor (located in the sense organs) which picks up changes in the environment
An effector (Muscle or Gland) which responds to the changes
How does a Reflex Action take place:
