Divisions of the nervous system

• The nervous system 


  consists of brain and spinal cord.

  It's the command centre of the body and controls all conscious and non-conscious of the body.

  -Receives and processes information from the peripheral nervous system.
• Brain 


  -Is made up of 4 lobes and each has a specialised function: frontal, occipital, temporal and parietal. e.g. Occipital is for visual processing.

  -the left hemisphere controls and receives information from the right side and right hemisphere controls and receives information from the left side.
• Spinal cord


  -Branches off from the brain stem and runs down the vertebral canal.

  -relays information back and forth between the brain and peripheral nervous system.

  -Is responsible for rapid reflex action that doesn't require conscious processing.
• Nervous system 


  is a complex network of neurons throughout the body.

  -Roles: to collect and process and respond to sensory information within the environment.

  -Co-ordinate the workings of different groups, organs, cells and control behaviour and psychological processes.
• Peripheral nervous system 


  -consists of all neurons outside the CNS.

  -It sends information from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.

  -It sends information from your body and sends to brain ad spinal cord for processing.

  -Then branches further into autonomic and somatic.
• Somatic Nervous System 


  -consists of motor and sensory neuron.

  -Voluntary and conscious skeletal muscle movement.

  -The somatic nervous system is involved in reflex actions.

  -Sends signals about the external stimuli to the brain and spinal cord for processing
• Autonomic Nervous System 


  -regulates bodily processes that take place with no conscious effort.

  -regulates body's response to stress which is known as flight or fight.

  -Can be divided further into sympathetic and parasympathetic.
• Sympathetic 


  -Is activated during times of acute stress and helps body prepare for 'flight or fight'

  -Allows body to respond quickly to a stimuli.

  -e.g. pupil dilates and digestion is inhibited when sympathetic nervous system is activated.
• Parasympathetic 


  -Responsible for calming and restoring body to restful state after the action of sympathetic nervous system has taken place.

  -e.g. pupils narrow and digestion continues.