The Nervous System How do we respond to different stimuli?

1. The Nervous SystemHow do we respond to different stimuli? By: Celeste Anderson

2. The Nervous System • The nervous system is a compound group of nerves and special cells called neurons which send specific messages to different parts of a body.

3. The Different Types of Nervous Systems • Vertebrates (animals with backbones) have a central and a peripheral nervous system. • The central nervous system contains the brain, spinal cord, and retina. • The peripheral nervous system is made up of the sensory neurons, ganglia (clusters of neurons), and nerves that connect to each other and to the central nervous system.

4. The Functions • The nervous system has three basic functions: • The sensory neurons, located in your brain and spinal cord, receive information from the sensory receptors. • A sensory receptor is an organ that has nerve endings that react to stimulation.

5. The Functions (cont.) • Interneurons, which are also located in your brain and spinal cord, transport and interpret impulses.

6. The Functions (cont.) • Motor neurons, located in the central nervous system, send the correct impulses and commands to the muscles and glands in your body.

7. Interactions • The nervous system works with the: • Skeletal system because the sensory receptors in your joints send specific signals about your body and its position to the brain. • Cardiovascular system because the brain regulates your heart rate and blood pressure. • Muscular system by regulating the speed that food moves through the digestive tract.

8. Interesting Facts • The brain has more nerve cells than there are stars in the Milky Way. • There are over 100 billion neurons in your brain alone!

9. Bibliography • http://www.livescience.com/22665-nervous-system.html • http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/nsdivide.html • http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/nervous.htm • http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/organ.html • http://allaboutthenervoussystem.weebly.com/fun-facts.html