NERVOUS SYSTEM

• WHAT ARE THE KEY FUNCTIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM?

  1. Collects, processes, responds to information in the environment
  2. Co-ordinates working of different organs/ cells via neurons
• WHAT ARE THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM?

  • CNS
  • PNS
  • brain
  • spinal cord
  • autonomic
  • somatic
  • sympathetic
  • parasympathetic
• WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE CNS?

  processes messages from environment
• WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE PNS?

  • gathers information from external environment
  • transmits messages to/ from the CNS via neurons
• WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BRAIN?

  • conscious awareness
  • psychological processes
  • higher mental function
• WHAT IS THE BRAIN MADE UP OF?

  nerve cells and supportive tissue
• WHAT IS THE SPINAL CORD MADE UP OF?

  bundle of nerve fibres
• WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE SPINAL CORD?

  • transmits messages to/ from the brain
  • responsible for reflex arcs
• WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF AUTONOMIC?

  • involuntary vital functions
  • controls internal glands
• WHERE DOES AUTONOMIC GET ITS COMMANDS FROM?

  brainstem
• WHAT DOES THE AUTONOMIC HAVE?

  motor pathways
• WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SOMATIC?

  • voluntary control of body movements
  • controls skeletal muscles
• WHERE DOES THE SOMATIC GET ITS COMMANDS FROM?

  motor cortex
• WHAT DOES THE SOMATIC HAVE?

  sensory and motor pathways
• ARE SYMPATHETIC AND PARASYMPATHEIC PARTS OF THE AUTONOMIC OR SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM?

  autonomic
• WHAT DOES SYMPATHETIC DO?

  resting to physiologically aroused (fight or flight)
• WHAT DOES PARASYMPATHETIC DO?

  calms from physiological arousal to resting (rest and digest)
• DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CNS AND PNS?

  • brain provides conscious awareness and higher-order thinking whereas spinal cord allows for simple reflex responses
  • brain consists of multiple regions responsible for different functions whereas the spinal cord has one main function
• SIMILARITIES BETWEEN CNS AND PNS?

  both control involuntary processes (brainstem = breathing, spinal cord = involuntary reflexes)
• DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AUTONOMIC AND SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEMS?

  • autonomic consists of two sub-components, somatic only one
  • somatic has sensory and motor pathways, autonomic only has motor pathways
  • autonomic controls internal organs and glands whereas somatic controls muscles and movement