what makes up our central nervous system?
the brain and spinal cord
what does the brain do?
it coordinates all of your body activities, made up of 100 billion neurons
what is the largest part of your brain?
the cerebrum
what does the cerebrum do?
it is where thinking occurs, impulses from the senses are interpreted, memory is stored, and movements are controlled
what does the cerebellum do?
it is able to coordinate voluntary movements, maintain muscle tone, and help maintain balance.
what does the medulla do?
it controls involuntary actions, breathing, heartbeat, blood pressure, also involved in sneezing, coughing, swallowing, and vomiting
what are the two major divisions of the peripheral nervous system?
somatic and autonomic
what does the somatic system do?
it controls voluntary actions, made up of cranial and spinal nerves
what does the autonomic system do?
it controls involuntary actions, those not under conscious control
what are the 3 main types of nerve cells?
- sensory neuron
- relay neuron
- motor neuron
what does the sensory neuron do?
they are responsible for converting external stimuli from the organism’s environment into electrical impulses
what does the relay neuron do?
they create neural circuits, enabling communication between sensory or motor neurons and the central nervous system
what do motor neurons do?
they transmit from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles