nervous system
- This is a preview of the essay.
To view the full text you must login!
The nervous system is the major controlling, regulatory, and communication system in the body. The various activities of the nervous system can be categorized as having three overlapping functions: sensory input, integration, and motor output. Sensory input monitors the changing of stimuli (millions of sensory receptors) inside and outside the body. The processing and interpreting of sensory input is controlled by the function of integration. Lastly, motor output activates muscles and glands (effector organs), based on the integration of information.
The nervous system has two systems: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord. It is the integrating and command center. The PNS consists of nerves that form communication lines between the CNS and the rest of the body. Sensory (afferent) nerves transmit impulses to the CNS while motor (efferent) nerves transmit impulses away from the CNS to the effector organs...