CNS PNS

Brain Spinal Cord Autonomic Somatic

Sympathetic Parasympathetic
The purpose of the nervous system is to gather information,
produce responses to stimuli, and coordinate the workings
of different cells. It is the command center of the eight
systems in the human body.
Processes, interprets and stores incoming sensory information-
information about our 5 senses to be exact; tastes, sounds, smells,
colors, pressure on skin, the state of internal organs, etc.
It consists of the brain and spinal cord. It is referred to as “central”
because it combines information from the entire body and
coordinates activity across the whole organism.
It runs from the base of the brain down
the center of the back, protected by
the column of bones. The cord acts as
sort of bridge between the brain and
the body parts of the body below the
neck.
It also produces some behavior on its
own without any help from the brain.
These behavior, called spinal
reflexes, are automatic, requiring no
effort.
This system handles the CNS’s input and output. It contains all
portions of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord,
right down to nerves in the tips of the fingers and toes.
It is part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for carrying
sensory and motor information to and from the central nervous
system. It is responsible for transmitting sensory information as well
as for controlling voluntary movement.
The sensory nerves in the peripheral nervous system carry
messages from the special receptors in the skin, muscles and other
internal and external organs to the spinal cord, which sends them
along to the brain.
The motor nerves (motion-producing) carry orders from the
central nervous system to muscles, glands, and internal organs.
They enable us to move our bodies, and they cause glands to
contract and secrete various substances including chemical
messengers called hormones.
It is part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for regulating
involuntary functions such as blood flow, heartbeat, digestion, and
breathing.
In other words, it is the autonomic system that controls aspects of
the body that are usually not under voluntary control. This system
allows these functions to take place without needing to consciously
think about them happening.
By regulating the fight or flight response, the sympathetic system
prepares the body to expend energy to respond to environmental
threats. When action is needed, the sympathetic system triggers a
response by accelerating heart rate, increasing breathing rate,
boosting blood flow to muscles, activating sweat secretion, and
dilating the pupils.
This helps maintain normal body functions and conserve physical
resources. Once a threat has passed, this system will slow the
heart rate, slow breathing, reduce blood flow to muscles, and
constrict the pupils. This allows the body to return to a normal
resting state.
This area of the brain play a central role in processing of
information related to complex cognitive activities, sensory and
associative functions, and voluntary motor activities.
The frontal lobe is involved with voluntary movement, reasoning,
impulse control, language and speech.
The parietal lobe is mainly involved with processing the sense of
touch, limb position and spatial awareness.
The temporal lobe is primarily responsible for processing auditory
stimuli. It also communicates with the hippocampus in the
production of long-term memory.
It is known to be the visual processing center of the brain. The
primary visual cortex, which is in the occipital lobe, determines the
shape, size, and location of objects in the field of vision.
This area of the brain play a central role in processing of
information related to complex cognitive activities, sensory and
associative functions, and voluntary motor activities. It is involved
in auditory and visual processing. It is also responsible for eye
movement.
The hindbrain mostly coordinates autonomic functions that are
essential to survival including respiratory rhythm, motor activity,
sleep and wakefulness.
Corpus Callosum- These are a band of nerve, which carries back
and forth between the two. A combination of sensory and cognitive
information is constantly being transferred between hemispheres
via this neural highway.
If the corpus callosum is severed, the brain’s hemispheres are not
able to communicate properly and the loss of range of functions can
occur – for example changes in visual perception, speech and
memory.