A mini crash course on the Nervous system by me!

In science, we were in the early stages of our psychology unit, and I found it genuinely interesting. We learnt about the parts of the brain, along with the nervous system. The nervous system in particular interested me. It essentially acts as a communication system between the body’s internal cells and organs, as well as the external world. It has three main functions; It receives information, processes information and finally coordinates a response to information. All living animals have a nervous system, however animals such as jellyfish have simple nervous systems that only contain a few nerve cells due to the fact it doesn’t need to do much to survive. While human beings need a more advanced nervous system that allows us to be able to perform complex activities, like problem solving, creative thinking, talking and more. The nervous system has two major systems, the Central nervous system (CNS) and Peripheral nervous system (PNS). The Central nervous system contains the brain and spinal cord, the spinal cord connects the brain and the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system carries messages to and from the central nervous system and has two systems. One being the somatic nervous system, which controls voluntary actions like talking or writing. It transmits sensory information to the CNS. Then there’s the Autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary actions, such as breathing and heartbeat. It has two systems itself, those being the sympathetic nervous system that arouses the body to expend energy, and the parasympathetic nervous system that calms the body down to conserve and maintain energy. Each of these systems play a vital role in ensuring the body can function, adapt, and survive in a constantly changing environment. Whether it's reacting to danger, maintaining a steady heartbeat, or consciously moving a limb, the coordination between the central and peripheral systems allows for both automatic and intentional actions that keep us balanced, safe, and responsive.

References:

Pre-Vce Life Nervous system PowerPoint