nervous system and endocrine

• What is the nervous system?

  A specialised network of cells in the human body and is our primary internal communication system.

  two main functions;

  -collect, process, respond to info in the environment

  -coordinate working of organs and cells in the body
• the nervous systems divided into 2 subsystems;

  -central nervous system

  -peripheral nervous system
• what is the central nervous system

  brain+ spinal cord

  -brain centre of all conscious awareness, outer layer=cerebral cortex.

  -spinal cord extension of the brain, passes messages to and from brain, responsible for reflex actions.
• What is the peripheral nervous system?

  transmits information to and from the CNS.

  subdivided into the;

  -autonomic nervous system-governs breathing, heart rate, sexual arousal, stress responce

  -somatic nervous system-governs muscle movement and receives info from sensory receptors
• What is the endocrine system?

  the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. main glands are pituitary, thyroid, adrenal
• how do the endocrine and autonomic nervous system work together?

  can work in parallel during stress. when stress received hypothalamus activates pituitary gland and autonomic nervous system changes from parasympathetic to sympathetic state

  -adrenaline: crests flight or fight

  -immediate and automatic: instant

  -parasympathetic action: reducers activity back to normal