Bio 318 LECTURE- The Nervous System

What are the 3 basic functions of the nervous system?

• sensory input, integration, and response

What does the nervous system allow us to do?

• allows us to respond to changes in our environment

• change in external environment

• maintain homeostasis

• allows a physiological response to changes in our internal environment

Sensory Input

• you will have various receptors that will respond to (sight, taste, touch, smell, pain, pressure, etc.)

• info is sent to the brain in the form of AP

Integration

• determines the response

• electrical info goes to CNS and gets interpreted and this is where integration happens

• ex. info you get from glass of water is different for when you are dehydrated vs. when you are not thirsty

Response

• the output from the response

• motor output goes to muscles and glands that is going to leave the CNS

CNS

• encased in bone (brain is protected by the skull)

• brain and spinal cord

PNS