Module 1 Lesson 4 - 6
Completion requirements
Lesson 4 — The Structure and Organization of the Nervous System
Lesson Summary
In this lesson you investigated the following focusing questions:
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How is the nervous system organized, and how do these parts communicate with each other?
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What interrupts the normal communication mechanisms of the sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of the nervous system?
The human nervous system is a complex communication system organized into the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. These systems work together to maintain homeostasis.
The motor neurons of the peripheral nervous system take information from the brain and spinal cord to the somatic nervous system and/or the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is composed of two subdivisions (parasympathetic and sympathetic systems).
You have examined how the sensations from your eyes and ears are communicated to the cerebrum of the brain and the occipital and temporal lobes for interpretation. You have examined the medulla oblongata and its role in communicating automatic, involuntary responses such as the control of breathing rate and heart rate. You have considered the role that the spinal cord has in communication and the parts of the nervous system that protect these vital structures so that communication continues to establish homeostasis.