The Somatic Nervous System

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The Somatic Nervous System Organization of the Nervous System The nervous system is divided into the central nervous system, which is the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system which is made of all the other nerves that carry impulses to and from the rest of the body. The peripheral nervous system is divided into the somatic system which controls voluntary muscles and carries information from the senses, and the autonomic system which controls the things you don't have to think about--such as heart rate and digestion. The autonomic system is divided into the sympathetic system which functions for arousal and fight or flight, and the parasympathetic system which is involved in calming down and conserving energy. Neuron Firing A typical neuron has dendrites, a soma, or cell body, and an axon. The neural impulse is a brief electrical charge that moves down the axon. This impulse is also called the action potential. The action potential travels down the axon away from the soma. How Neurons Communicate A neuron sends a signal to another neuron by sending neurotransmitters across the synapse, from the terminal ends of the axon, to the dendrites on the next neuron. Neurons Neurons are the basic units of communication in the nervous system. Neurons affect biological functions and behavior. Types of Neurons There are three types of neurons: Afferent or sensory neurons, which are specialized neurons located in the eyes, ears, nose mouth and skin. These neurons are sensitive to light, sound, taste, smell, or other stimuli. They send messages about the environment to the central nervous system (CNS). Efferent or motor neurons carry messages away from the CNS, the brain and the spinal cord to the muscles and glands. They enable body movement by relaying messages from the brain and spinal cord to the peripheral nervous system (PNS).

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