The nervous system

• What is the definition of the nervous system?

  The basis of psychological experience and allows us to respond to our environment / stimuli rapidly and coordinate movement
• What is the central nervous system ?

  A sub-system of the nervous system concerned with life functions and psychological processes
• What 2 parts make up the central nervous system ?

  Brain, spinal cord
• Name the areas of the brain?

  Cerebrum, brain stem, cerebellum, diencephalon
• What is the cerebrum responsible for?

  • frontal lobe (speech + thought)
  • Temporal (hearing + memory)
  • Occipital (visual)
  • Parietal (sensory)
• What is the cerebellum responsible for?

  motor skills, balance
• What does damage to the cerebellum cause?

  Epilepsy, speech and motor problems
• What is the brain stem responsible for?

  Connects spinal cord and brain, heartbeat and breathing
• What is the diencephalon responsible for?

  • Hypothalamus - regulates body temperature, hunger & thirst.
  • Thalamus - nerve impulses from sense to the brain
• What is the Brain responsible for in the CNS ?

  Vital functions for life and higher order thinking
• What is the spinal cord responsible for in the CNS?

  • simple reflexes
  • Transfers messages between the brain and the body
• What does damage to the spinal cord cause?

  Paralysis, bladder + bowel control problems
• What is the definition for the peripheral nervous system?

  A sub-system of the nervous system - concerned with both voluntary and involuntary bodily functions and transmits messages from the body to the CNS and to the body again.
• What is the somatic nervous system?

  • voluntary (conscious control)
  • Takes messages from the senses to the output- sent to muscles
  • Directs muscle movement and reaction
• What are the two sub-systems of the Autonomic Nervous system?

  Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
• What does the sympathetic nervous system do ?

  • fight / flight response
  • Prepared body for action x body functions increase
• What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

  • Rest / digest
  • Returns the body to a resting state (homeostasis)