PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Roger Wolcott Sperry, Parietal Lobe, Tegmentum
Document Summary
Central nervous system (cns): two components: brain/spinal cord. Sends out messages to muscles, glands, and organs. Many actions of the central nervous system don"t require the brain"s input. Example: withdrawing from pain is a reflexive activity controlled by the spinal cord. Painful sensations (such as the heat of fire) travel directly to the spinal cord via sensory neurons, which then issue an immediate command to motor neurons to retract the hand. Spinal cord: bridge between brain/parts of body below neck. Primary means for transmitting messages. between brain/rest of body. Spinal nerves: part of peripheral nervous system. 31 parts each connected the spinal cord and pertain to a specific body area". Spinal reflexes: enabled to nerve/simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions. Example: touch hot stove = pull hand back no need to take time to think. Peripheral nervous system: consists of all portions of the nervous system outside of the brain/spinal cord.