Nervous System
The body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral & central nervous system
Central Nervous System
The brain & spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System
Sensory & motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
Nerves
Bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands & sense organs
Sensory Neurons
Neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain & spinal cord
Motor Neurons
Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain & spinal cord to the muscles & glands
Interneurons
Neurons within the brain and spinal cord; communicate internally & process information between the sensory inputs & motor outputs
Somatic Nervous System
The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles
Autonomic Nervous System
The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands & muscles of the internal organs, such as the heart
Sympathetic Nervous System
The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy
Parasympathetic Nervous System
The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
Reflex
A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response