Nervous system

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The nervous system of an animal coordinates the activity of the muscles, monitors the organs, constructs and also stops input from the senses, and initiates actions. Units of the nervous system include neurons and nerves, which play roles in such coordination. All parts of nervous system are made of nervous tissue.

The Nervous System Hierarchy[edit]

The nervous system may be conveniently represented as a hierarchy of brain areas, fiber tracts, and nuclei.

The nervous system of vertebrate animals is often divided into the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord. The PNS consists of all other nerves and neurons that do not lie within the CNS. The large majority of what are commonly called nerves (which are actually axonal processes of nerve cells) are considered to be PNS. The peripheral nervous system is divided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.

The somatic nervous system is responsible for coordinating the body's movements, and also for receiving external stimuli. It is the system that regulates activities that are under conscious control.

The autonomic nervous system is then split into the sympathetic division, parasympathetic division, and enteric division. The sympathetic nervous system responds to impending danger or stress, and is responsible for the increase of one's heartbeat and blood pressure, among other physiological changes, along with the sense of excitement one feels due to the increase of adrenaline in the system. The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is evident when a person is resting and feels relaxed, and is responsible for such things as the constriction of the pupil, the slowing of the heart, the dilation of the blood vessels, and the stimulation of the digestive and genitourinary systems. The role of the enteric nervous system is to manage every aspect of digestion, from the esophagus to the stomach, small intestine and colon.

Primate Nervous System Hierarchy[edit]

• Central Nervous System
  • Telencephalon
    • Basal Forebrain
    • Basal Ganglia
    • Cerebral Cortex
    • Amygdala
    • Hippocampal Formation
    • Septum
    • Claustrum
  • Diencephalon
    • Dorsal Thalamus
    • Ventral Thalamus
    • Hypothalamus
    • Epithalamus
    • Subthalamic Nucleus
  • Brain Stem
    • Mesencephalon
      • Tectum
      • Cerebral Peduncle
    • Metencephalon
      • Pons
      • Cerebellum
    • Myelencephalon
  • Spinal Cord
    • Dorsal Horn
    • Ventral Horn
• Peripheral Nervous System
  • Somatic Nervous System
  • Autonomic Nervous System

Experimental methods[edit]

• EEG
• Patch clamp