The nervous system is a complex system made up of nerves and cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord and other parts of the body. It controls and integrates the different bodily functions and maintains the stability and constancy of the internal variables of our body. The nervous system is responsible for three basic functions of our body: sensory, integrative and motor function. The nervous system is mainly divided into two: the central and peripheral nervous system.
He Central Nervous System controls voluntary functions such as walking, laughing, reading, etc. Meanwhile he peripheral nervous system It is responsible for involuntary actions such as blinking, heartbeat, digestion, etc. In this Psychology-Online article we tell you the differences between the peripheral and central nervous system.
The central nervous system (CNS) is made up of two main parts: the brain and the spinal cord.
- The brain plays a central role in the control of most bodily functions, including movements, sensations, thoughts, speech, memory, etc. Some reflex movements can occur through the spinal cord without the involvement of brain structures. The brain is made up of four main parts: brainstem, encephalon, cerebellum and diencephalon. There are two types of substance in the brain, gray and white. The gray matter (cell bodies of neurons and glia) receives and stores impulses. And the white matter, made up of axons, carries impulses to and from the gray matter.
- Spinal cord It is connected to a section of the brain called brainstem and is located within the spinal column. It is composed of a series of 31 segments. A pair of cranial nerves emerge from each segment. Motor and sensory nerves are located in the spinal cord that transmit signals (messages back and forth between the brain and peripheral nerves).
He peripheral nervous system is the division of the nervous system that contains all the nerves found outside the central nervous system (CNS). Its main function is connect the CNS with the organs, extremities and skin. These nerves extend from the central nervous system to the most peripheral areas of the body. It allows the brain and spinal cord to receive and send information to other areas of the body, causing us to react to stimuli in our environment. The nerves that make up the peripheral nervous system are actually axons or act as axons of neuronal cells.
The peripheral nervous system is divided into two parts: autonomic and somatic nervous system:
Difference between somatic and autonomic nervous system
The somatic nervous system It is responsible for carrying sensory and motor information to and from the central nervous system. It is responsible for transmitting sensory information and voluntary movement. This system contains two main types of neurons:
- Sensory (afferents) that carry information from the nerves to the CNS. It is these neurons that allow us to receive sensory information and send it to the brain and spinal cord.
- Motors: They carry information from the brain and spinal cord to muscle fibers throughout the body. These motor neurons allow us to perform physical actions in response to stimuli in the environment.
The autonomic nervous system It is the part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for regulating involuntary bodily functions, such as blood flow, heartbeat, digestion, and breathing. So it is generally this part of the system that controls aspects of the body that are not under voluntary control. This system allows these functions to be carried out without having to think about them occurring consciously.
In turn, it is divided into two, the sympathetic system (prepares the body to expend energy and face possible threats in the environment) and the parasympathetic system (helps maintain normal body functions and conserve physical resources, once the illness has passed). threat this system will allow the body to return to a normal state). Discover in the following article the.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.