PSYC18H3 Chapter 5: Chapter 5.doc
Document Summary
Neural signals from the cortex communicate with the limbic system and the hypothalas, these brain regions send signals through cluster of neurons of the autonomic nervous system to the target organs, glands, muscles and the blood vessels. The autonomic nervous system"s most general function is to maintain the internal condition of the body, to enable adaptive response to varying environmental events. The parasympathetic branch helps with restorative processes, reducing heart rate and blood pressure and increasing digestive processes. The parasympathetic autonomic nervous system incorporates nerves that originate in two different parts of the spinal cord: the vagus nerve, at the top of the spinal cord, and the sacral region near the bottom of the spinal cord. The parasympathetic system decreases heart rate and blood pressure, in a few places it facilitates blood flow by dilating certain arteries. It increase blood flow to erectile tissue in the penis and clitoris, and thus is essential to the sexual response.
