The nervous system

• The nervous system has two main functions:

  • To collect, process and respond to information in the enviornment
  • To co-ordinate the working of different organs and cells in the body
• The Central Nervous System (CNS) is made up of the brain and the spinal cord
• The brain is the centre of conscious awareness.

  The cerebral cortex is highly developed in humans and is what distinguishes our higher mental functions from animals

  The brain is divided into two hemispheres
• The spinal cord is an extension of the brain and connects the nerves to the PNS
• The peripheral nervous system (PNS) transmit messages, via millions of neurons to and from the nervous system
• The PNS is further subdivided into the Autonomic nervous system and the Somatic nervous system
• Autonomic nervous system (ANS) governs vital functions in the body such as breathing, heart rate, digestion , sexual arousal and stress responses
• Somatic nervous system (SNS) governs muscle movement and receives information from sensory receptors