The Central Nervous System

• The nervous system controls all automatic and conscious actions and sensations in all parts of the body
• The nervous system is divided into two systems:

  Central nervous system (CNS)

  Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
• The central nervous system is controlled by the brain and is connected to the spinal cord.

  Signals flow from the nerves to the spinal cord, then to brain and back again.

  The brain is a control centre and organises millions of signals
• The central nervous system controls behaviour and regulates the body’s physiological processes
• The brain receives info from sensory receptors and sends signals to muscles and glands through spinal cord and nerve cells
• The spinal cord is protected by the spine and vertebrae
• The spinal cord relays info between the brain and the rest of the body
• The spinal cord works with the brain to coordinate involuntary functions
• The spinal cord is connected to different parts of the body through spinal nerves
• The brain is divided into four main areas
• Cerebrum:

  largest part of the brain

  four lobes with different functions
• Cerebellum:

  beneath the back of the cerebrum

  involved in motor skills, balance and speech
• Diencephalon:

  beneath the cerebrum, inside the brain

  contains the thalamus and the hypothalamus

  routes signals, links to the endocrine system
• Brain stem:

  back of the brain leading to the spinal cord

  regulates automatic functions