The Nervous System

Receptors

• Chemoreceptors:

  • detect chemicals in different molecules and convert then into electrical signals

  • there is a link between smells and emotions

• Photoreceptors:

  • convert light energy into electrical signals

  • interpreted by brain as vision

• Mechanoreceptors:

  • convert vibrations into electrical signals

  • interpreted by brain as sound

Central Nervous System

• control centre of your body

• made up of brain and spinal cord

• receives all incoming messages from the environment and processes

• part of reactions

Peripheral Nervous System

• made up of all nerves outside the central nervous system

• carries information to and from the central nervous system

• divided into two parts:

  • Autonomic: controls involuntary actions such as your heartbeat, digestion and respiration, also divided into two parts (sympathetic and parasympathetic)

  • Somatic: controls voluntary action such as walking, talking and waving

The Brain

• brain controls and regulated all body functions

• over 100 billion neurons

• 1.2L - 1.4L
  

    Cerebrum

• controls conscious thought, voluntary actions, receivs sensory messages

• white matter - covered in myelin, and has axons connecting different parts of grey matter

• grey matter - cell bodies, dendrites and synaptic terminal, also where the thinking occurs
  

    Frontal Lobe

• located at the front of the brain

• controls emotions, reasoning, movement and problems solving