Nervous system

• Nervous system


  Collects and responds to information in the environment
• Parts of the nervous system


  • Central Nervous System
  • Peripheral Nervous System
• Central Nervous System


  Consists of the brain and spinal cord
• Brain


  • Complex processing
  • Centre of conscious awareness
  • Where decision making takes place
• The Autonomic Nervous system can be divided into two parts

  The Sympatheic ANS which triggers a state of psychological arousal in response to stress to prepare for flight or fight

  Increase in heart rate

  Increase in breathing rate

  Inhibits digestion

  Sweat increase

  The Parasympathetic ANS activates rest by decreasing bodily activity so the body can go into rest and digest mode

  Decrease in heartrate

  Decrease in breathing

  Sweat decrease

  Stimulates digestion

  Usually there is a balance between the two called homeostatis
• Spinal cord


  Transmits information between the brain and the rest of the nervous system
• Brain stem


  At the base of the brain, connects the brain and the spinal cord, governs some automatic functions e.g. heartbeat and reflex responses
• Peripheral Nervous System


  A body-wide messenger neuron network via sensory and relay neurons
• Parts of the Peripheral Nervous System


  • Somatic Nervous System
  • Autonomic Nervous System
• Somatic Nervous System


  • A network of myelinated sensory and motor neurons carrying sensory information to, and instructions for movement from the CNS
  • Voluntary system
• Autonomic Nervous System


  • A network of unmyelinated fibres running through the body and connecting senses and internal organs with the CNS
  • Involuntary system
  • Coordinates breathing etc.