1.2: Overview of the Nervous System

Nervous System

The body's fast, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Consists of the brain and spinal cord; it processes information and coordinates the body's responses.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body.

Somatic Nervous System

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles.

Autonomic Nervous System

A part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary body functions, such as heartbeat and digestion.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses thebody, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy.