THE NERVOUS SYSTEM: neurons and the nervous system Flashcards
What 2 subsystems is the central nervous system comprised of?
The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
Define: central nervous system
Comprised of the brain and the spinal chord and is involved in receiving sensory information from the body and sending motor information to the body.
Define: peripheral nervous system
Comprises of everthing outside of the central nervous system and it collects sensory information from sense organs which is sent to the brain and is relayed back as motor information.
What are the 2 subsystems of the peripheral nervous system?
The somatic nervous sustem (voluntary movement) and autonomic nervous sytem (automatic/involuntary movement)
What are the 3 types of neurons that communicate to form (sensations)?
Sensory neurons, motor neurons and interneurons
Sensory and motor neurons are primarily located in the ___, whereas interneurons are located in the ___
PNS, CNS
Define: sensory neurons
aka afferent neurons, receive sensory information from sensory receptor cells in the PNS, and is sent to the CNS
Define: motor neurons
aka efferent neurons, carry motor information from the CNS to the PNS, causing bodily responses
Define: interneurons
nerves in the CNS which connect sensory neurons to motor neurons.
Interneurons coordinate the reflex arc. Explain what this means.
As a survival response, when sensory neurons receive an intense sensation, it is relayed to the motor neurons through interneurons in the spinal chord, to bypass the brain more quickly.
Define: somatic nervous system
A branch of the PNS that controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles and sensory information
Define: autonomic nervous system
A branch of the PNS that functions automatically to control physiological functions.
Can the autonomic nervous system be controlled? how?
Yes, certain techniques such as biofeedback (exerts control over physiological functions that usually function independently) to influence the ANS
