Malcolm Rivera
The nervous system is divided into two main parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS includes the brain and spinal cord, while the PNS consists of everything else, including nerves that branch off from the spinal cord and extend to all parts of the body. The PNS plays a key role in sending information from different areas of the body to the brain and carrying out commands from the brain to various parts of the body. The CNS's responsibilities include receiving, processing, and responding to sensory information.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of main parts | 2 |
| First main part | Central nervous system |
| Second main part | Peripheral nervous system |
| What the central nervous system includes | Brain and spinal cord |
| What the peripheral nervous system includes | Nerves outside the brain and spinal cord |
| What the peripheral nervous system connects | Central nervous system to limbs and organs |
| What the central nervous system does | Receives, processes, and responds to sensory information |
| What the peripheral nervous system does | Sends information from the body to the brain and carries out commands from the brain to the body |
| What the brain does | Controls responses, sensation, movement, emotions, communication, thought processing, and memory |
| What the spinal cord does | Protects the nervous system |
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What You'll Learn
The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord
The nervous system is comprised of two major parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS includes the brain and the spinal cord, while the PNS consists of everything else. The brain is the body's "control centre" and is responsible for responses, sensation, movement, emotions, communication, thought processing, and memory. It is divided into two hemispheres, the left and the right, which are responsible for different behaviours, a phenomenon known as brain lateralization. The left hemisphere, for example, is dominant in language, logic, and math abilities, while the right hemisphere is more creative and artistic.
The spinal cord is a vital part of the CNS and is located within the vertebral column. It differs in width throughout its structure due to cervical and lumbar enlargements. The spinal cord is protected by bone, meninges, and cerebrospinal fluids. It contains both white matter and grey matter, with the latter in its core. The grey matter includes the grey commissure, dorsal, lateral, and ventral horns. The dorsal horns are made of interneurons, while the ventral horns contain efferent motor neurons that control the body's periphery.
The CNS's responsibilities include receiving, processing, and responding to sensory information. Sensory neurons detect light, sound, odour, taste, pressure, and heat and send messages about these stimuli to the brain. The brain then processes this information and sends motor commands to the peripheral body via the PNS. The PNS is a vast network of spinal and cranial nerves that are linked to the brain and spinal cord. It carries signals that allow us to move our muscles and delivers signals that the brain uses to control vital, unconscious processes like our heartbeat and breathing.
The PNS has two main subsystems: autonomic and somatic. The autonomic subsystem includes nervous system processes that the brain runs automatically, such as regulating the digestive system and releasing hormones. The somatic subsystem, on the other hand, includes functions that require conscious thought, such as movement.
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The peripheral nervous system includes nerves outside the brain and spinal cord
The nervous system is comprised of two major parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS, or central nervous system, includes the brain and spinal cord, which serve as the body's "control center." It is responsible for receiving, processing, and responding to sensory information, as well as controlling vital functions such as movement, emotions, communication, thought processing, memory, and more.
The peripheral nervous system, on the other hand, includes nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. It branches outward from the CNS to reach every part of the body, including the internal organs. The PNS plays a crucial role in transmitting signals and information between the CNS and the rest of the body. It is through the PNS that the brain receives information from our senses, such as smell, sound, taste, and touch, as well as visual input. Additionally, the PNS carries signals that allow us to move our muscles and control vital unconscious processes like our heartbeat and breathing.
The PNS has two main subsystems: the autonomic and somatic nervous systems. The autonomic subsystem deals with processes that the brain runs automatically, such as regulating the heart and digestive system, while the somatic subsystem involves functions that require conscious thought, such as voluntary movement. These two subsystems work together to perform the three main jobs of the PNS: sensing, transmitting, and acting on information from and to the CNS.
The peripheral nervous system is vulnerable to various conditions and disruptions, including malignant and benign tumours, which can affect its functioning. Damage to the PNS can result in a loss of sensation or control in the affected areas, underscoring the critical role it plays in our overall health and well-being.
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The PNS feeds information into the brain from the senses
The nervous system is divided into two main parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS includes the brain and spinal cord, while the PNS consists of everything else. The PNS branches outward from the spinal cord and brain, reaching every part of the body. It plays a key role in sending information from different areas of the body to the brain and carrying out commands from the brain to various body parts.
The PNS feeds information into the brain from most of our senses. It carries signals that allow us to move our muscles and delivers signals that the brain uses to control vital, unconscious processes like our heartbeat and breathing. The PNS has two main subsystems: autonomic and somatic. The autonomic subsystem refers to nervous system processes that the brain runs automatically and without conscious thought, such as keeping a regular heartbeat, releasing hormones like adrenaline, opening the pupil in response to light, and regulating the digestive system. The somatic subsystem refers to functions that are managed by conscious thought, such as voluntary movement.
The PNS is a vast network of spinal and cranial nerves linked to the brain and spinal cord. It contains sensory receptors that help process changes in the internal and external environment. These sensory receptors detect light, sound, odour, taste, pressure, and heat and send messages about these senses to the brain. For example, 11 of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves are part of our senses of smell, sound, taste, and the sense of touch we have in the skin on our head, face, and neck.
The PNS also includes nerves that travel from the spinal cord and brain to supply the face and the rest of the body. These nerves branch out and become smaller nerves that spread throughout the body, eventually ending at places like the tips of our fingers and toes or just underneath the skin surface.
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The CNS processes and responds to sensory information
The nervous system is divided into two parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS, which includes the brain and spinal cord, is responsible for receiving, processing, and responding to sensory information. The PNS, on the other hand, consists of everything else, including nerves that branch off from the spinal cord and extend to all parts of the body.
The CNS plays a crucial role in processing and responding to sensory information. The brain, as the body's control centre, receives sensory input from various sources. This includes sensory organs like the eyes, ears, nose, and skin, as well as internal sensory receptors located throughout the body. These sensory receptors detect various stimuli such as light, sound, pressure, temperature, and vibrations. Once the sensory information reaches the brain, it is processed and interpreted. Different areas of the brain are responsible for processing different types of sensory information. For example, the occipital lobe at the back of the brain is primarily involved in visual processing, while the temporal lobe is associated with auditory processing.
The CNS also integrates sensory information with other data to make decisions and generate responses. For instance, if you touch a hot stove, sensory neurons in your skin detect the heat and send this information to the brain. The brain processes this information, recognizes the danger, and sends motor commands to your muscles to pull your hand away. This response is coordinated by the CNS, which ensures a rapid and appropriate reaction to the sensory input.
Additionally, the CNS is involved in higher-level processing of sensory information. This includes functions such as pattern recognition, memory formation, and emotional responses. For example, when you smell a familiar scent, the CNS retrieves the associated memory and may evoke an emotional response. The CNS also plays a role in filtering out irrelevant sensory information to focus on what is important or salient. This allows us to tune out background noise and focus on a conversation, for instance.
Damage to the CNS can have significant impacts on sensory processing and response. For example, a stroke or injury to certain areas of the brain can lead to conditions such as agnosia, where the ability to recognize and interpret sensory information is impaired. Similarly, conditions affecting the spinal cord, such as spinal cord injuries, can disrupt the transmission of sensory information to and from the brain, affecting both sensory and motor functions.
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The PNS has autonomic and somatic subsystems
The human nervous system is comprised of two major parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS includes the brain and spinal cord, while the PNS consists of everything else. The PNS has two main subsystems: autonomic and somatic.
The autonomic subsystem refers to nervous system processes that the brain runs automatically and without conscious thought. These include vital, unconscious processes such as the heartbeat and breathing, as well as other involuntary processes like keeping a regular heartbeat, releasing hormones like adrenaline, opening the pupil in response to light, and regulating the digestive system.
The somatic subsystem, on the other hand, refers to functions that are managed consciously. These include sensory functions such as the senses of smell, sound, taste, and touch, as well as motor functions like muscle movement.
The PNS plays a key role in transmitting signals between the CNS and the rest of the body, including the limbs and internal organs. It carries signals from the brain to various parts of the body, allowing for movement and the control of vital processes. It also sends sensory information from the body back to the brain, allowing for sensation, thought processing, and response to the environment.
The PNS is a vast network of spinal and cranial nerves that are linked to the brain and spinal cord. These nerves branch out and become smaller nerves that spread throughout the body, allowing for a wide range of sensory and motor functions.
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Frequently asked questions
The central nervous system (CNS) includes the brain and spinal cord. The brain is the body's control center and is responsible for responses, sensation, movement, emotions, communication, thought processing, and memory. The spinal cord is a vital aspect of the CNS found within the vertebral column.
The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of everything else outside the brain and spinal cord. It includes nerves that travel from the spinal cord and brain to supply the face and the rest of the body. The PNS plays a key role in sending information from different areas of the body back to the brain and carrying out commands from the brain to various parts of the body.
The CNS's responsibilities include receiving, processing, and responding to sensory information. The PNS's main function is to connect the CNS to the limbs and organs. It also delivers signals that the brain uses to control vital, unconscious processes like the heartbeat and breathing.
