PSYA01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Interneuron, Motor Neuron, Peripheral Nervous System
Document Summary
Complex communication network that transmits and receives information throughout the body: signals pains, pleasure, and emotion, controls our reflexive responses, voluntary movements, regulates basic processes such as breathing and heart rate. Responses to pain and injury are suppressed: the sum of all of these fast, automatic responses is that they increase the likelihood that you can escape. Only has 2 elements: the brain and the spinal cord. Ultimately responsible for most of what humans do. Brain gets all the glory but the spinal cord is also important keeps you breathing, responding to pain, moving your muscles, allowing you to walk. The brain would not be able to put any of its higher processing into action. For some basic behaviours, the spinal cord doesn"t need input from the brain at all. Connections between the sensory inputs and motor neurons in the spinal cord mediate spinal reflexes.
