PS101 Lecture Notes - Olfactory Bulb, Hypothalamus, Axon Terminal
Document Summary
2 main parts: central nervous system: receives, processes, interprets & stores incoming sensory information. Sends out messages to muscles, glands, organs. Spinal cord: a bridge b/t the brain and parts of the body below the neck. Spinal nerves protected by the spinal column. Enables spinal reflexes: peripheral nervous system: handles input & output from the cns. Contains 2 subdivisions (messages carried through sensory & motor nerves): Somatic nervous system: nerves connected to sensory receptors and skeletal muscles. Autonomic nervous system: regulates functioning of blood vessels, glands & internal organs: sympathetic division: engaged when something shocks/ frightens you to conserve, parasympathetic division: engaged to settle things down to mobilize. Nervous system made up of: neurons: cells that conduct electrochemical signals; basic unit of the nervous system. 100 billion in brain, varies in shape & size. Dendrites: branch-like fibre that receives information from other neurons & transmit towards cell body.