14: Nervous System
After completing this section, you should know:
- the role of the nervous system in coordinating an animal’s response to the environment
- that the nervous system gathers, sorts and stores information and initiates movement
- the basic structure and function of a neuron
- the structure and function of a synapse and neurotransmitter chemicals
- the nervous pathway known as a reflex with examples
- that training can develop conditioned reflexes in animals
- that the nervous system can be divided into the central and peripheral nervous systems
- that the brain is surrounded by membranes called meninges
- the basic parts of the brain and the function of the cerebral hemispheres, hypothalamus, pituitary, cerebellum and medulla oblongata
- the structure and function of the spinal cord
- that the peripheral nervous system consists of cranial and spinal nerves and the autonomic nervous system
- that the autonomic nervous system consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic parts with different functions
Thumbnail: Brain human lateral view. (CC BY 2.5; Patrick J. Lynch , medical illustrator).