ANP 1106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Somatic Nervous System, Peripheral Nervous System, Autonomic Nervous System

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Anatomy and Physiology
• Course: ANP 1106
• Professor: Jackie Carnegie

Document Summary

The nervous system is connected as a single unit, but it is anatomically divided into the central and peripheral nervous systems. The central nervous system is composed of the brain and spinal cord, and is considered to be the integrating and control centre of the nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is composed mostly of nerves that extend from the brain and the spinal cord. The somatic sensory fibres convey impulses from the skin, skeletal muscles, and joints. The visceral sensory fibres convey impulses from the visceral organs: the motor/efferent division of the peripheral nervous system is responsible for transmitting impulses from the central nervous system to effector organs, such as muscles and glands. The motor division of the peripheral nervous system may be subdivided into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems. The somatic nervous system, often referred to as the voluntary nervous system, is composed of somatic motor nerve fibres that conduct impulses from the cns to skeletal muscles.