Nervous system
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The nervous system of an animal coordinates the activity of the muscles, monitors the organs, constructs and also stops input from the senses, and initiates actions. Prominent participants in a nervous system include neurons and nerves, which play roles in such coordination.
In animals without brains, the nervous system does not generate or conduct thoughts and emotions. Thus it is the system that animates "animals" (sponges are an exception). Chemicals that target the activity of nerves generally are the most rapidly acting toxins, typically causing paralysis and/or death.
Contents |
[edit] Vertebrate nervous systems
The eye of vertebrate animals are often divided into a central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord. The PNS consists of all other nerves and neurons that do not lie within the CNS. The large majority of what are commonly called nerves (which are actually axonal processes of nerve cells) are considered to be PNS. The peripheral nervous system is divided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
| Peripheral | Somatic | |
| Autonomic | Sympathetic | |
| Parasympathetic | ||
| Enteric | ||
| Central | ||
The somatic nervous system is responsible for coordinating the body's movements, and also for receiving external stimuli. The autonomic nervous system is the involuntary part of the nervous system where all of the internal maintenance is taken care of.
The autonomic nervous system is then divided into the sympathetic division and parasympathetic division. The sympathetic nervous system responds to impending danger or stress, and is responsible for the increase of one's heartbeat and blood pressure, among other physiological changes, along with the sense of excitement one feels due to the increase of adrenaline in the system. The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is evident when a person is resting and feels relaxed, and is responsible for such things as the constriction of the pupil, the slowing of the heart, the dilation of the blood vessels, and the stimulation of the digestive and genitourinary systems.
[edit] Metabolism of the nervous system
Cells in a nervous system often because of their functions cannot metabolise proteins for energy in cellular respiration, and rely mostly on carbohydrates. If carbohydrates are lacking, the body must break down fat into fatty acids and glycerol, then the fatty acids into ketone bodies the cells can use.
[edit] See also
- auditory system
- neuroendocrinology
- neuroscience
- neurotoxin
- neural ensemble
- olfactory
- sensory system
- somatic sensation
- taste
- vision
- zootomy
[edit] References & Bibliography
[edit] Key texts
[edit] Books
- Ottoson,D.(1982) Physiology of the Nervous System
- Chapouthier,G. and Matras,J. J.(1986) The Nervous System and How It Functions
- Kee,L. S. (1987)Introduction to the Human Nervous System
- Nathan,P. The Nervous System (3d ed. 1988)
- Panavelas,J.G. et al., ed.(1988). The Making of the Nervous System
[edit] Papers
[edit] Additional material
[edit] Books
[edit] Papers
- Hoist, E. von. (1954). Relations between the central nervous system and the peripheral organs. British Journal of Animal Behaviour, 2: 89-94.
[edit] External links
| Biological tissue |
|---|
| Animals : Epithelium - Connective - Muscular - Nervous |
| Plants : Epidermis - Vascular tissue - Ground tissue |
| This page uses content from the English-language version of Wikipedia. The original article was at Nervous_system. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Psychology Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |
