Peripheral Nervous System

Wednesday, October 19, 2022 9:08 PM

Peripheral nervous system

The nerves of the PNS:

• 12 pairs of cranial nerves
• 31 pairs of spinal nerves

Function:
• link the CNS with the various parts of the body
• Carries information about the different tissue of the body to the CNS
• Carries commands from the CNS that alter body activities
a. Nervous tissue outside the CNS

Enteric nervous system: a unique subdivision of the peripheral nervous system.

• Has both sensory and motor neurons contained wholly within the digestive tract
• Can function without input from the CNS or other parts of the PNS

Sensory division: afferent division

• Toward
• Function: conducts action potentials from sensory receptors to the CNS
• Neurons: sensory neurons
○ Neurons that transmit action potentials from the periphery to the CNS

Motor division: efferent division

• away
• Conducts action potentials from the CNS to effector organs
• Neurons: motor neurons
○ Neurons that transmit action potentials from the CNS toward the periphery.

Motor division - Subdivision based on type of effector being innervated

a. Somatic nervous system
○ Transmits action potentials from the CNS to skeletal muscles
○ Involuntary
b. Autonomic nervous system
○ Transmits action potentials from the CNS to cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, and glan
○ Voluntary

Subdivision: sympathetic and parasympathetic division

Parasympathetic:
○ Fight or flight reflex

Sympathetic
○ Resting or digesting
 Subdivision: sympathetic and parasympathetic division

Parasympathetic:
○ Fight or flight reflex

Sympathetic
○ Resting or digesting