Regulation and the Nervous System

What is “REGULATION”?

To maintain a stable internal environment in a changing external environment; to keep the body “regular.”

Nervous system

• The body’s way of sending internal electrochemical messages from place to place

Functions of the nervous system:

1) Response to stimuli 2) Control of voluntary muscles and voluntary

reflexes. 3) Control of involuntary muscles (smooth muscle,

cardiac muscle, glands) and autonomic reflexes (heart rate, blood pressure, glandular secretion, etc.)

4) Integration of body processes 5) Responsible for conscious thought and

perception, emotions, personality, the mind

1) Stimulus and Response

Stimulus: Detectable change in the environment

Sensor: Structures that can detect change

Nerve impulse: Electrochemical signal.

Effector: Muscle or gland.

Response: Change in that

gland or muscle.

The Sensor: Sensory Organs

•Eyes

•Ears

•Nose

•Tongue

•Skin/lips

2) Control of Voluntary Muscles and Voluntary Reflexes

The Sensory organs and nerves, along with the voluntary muscles and their nerves make up the peripheral nervous system

The Neuron

(Cyton)

The Neuron

The Synapse

The Nerve Impulse: The Sensory Neuron

The Nerve Impulse: Interneurons

The Nerve Impulse: The Motor Neuron

Effector

Reaction Time Lab

3) Control of involuntary muscles (smooth muscle, cardiac muscle) and autonomic reflexes (heart rate, blood

pressure, etc.)

Holding our breath caused our heart rate to go up

4) Integration of body processes

5) Responsible for conscious thought and perception, emotions,

personality, the mind

The BrainCerebrum:

The “thinking” part; memory and cognition.

Cerebellum

Balance and coordination

Medulla:Involuntary activity (heart rate, breathing)

Corpus CallosumConnects left and right

brain hemispheres

The Brain and Spinal cord make up the Central Nervous System.