Animal Nervous System Parts and Functions

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the central nervous system (CNS) are the two primary parts of the nervous system. Together, these elements control how the body reacts to stimuli and operates.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

• Skull and vertebral column: The skull and vertebral column, among other bone components, surround and protect the brain and spinal cord, which make up the central nervous system (CNS).
• Brain: The brain coordinates motor responses, processes sensory data, and controls higher order cognitive processes like memory and emotion. It is the CNS command center.
• Brainstem: It is composed of areas, each with an autonomous purpose. Basic physiological processes such as heart rate and respiration are controlled by the brainstem.
• Forebrain: The brain’s anterior region is made up of the thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebrum.
• Midbrain: It is the more compact and central region of the brain.
• Hindbrain: It is the core area of the brain, consisting of the Pons, Medulla, and Cerebellum.
• Cerebrum: while the cerebrum is in charge of conscious cognition and voluntary movements.
• Cerebellum: The cerebellum is important in balance and coordination.
• Spinal cord: The brain and the rest of the body communicate with each other through the spinal cord.
• It coordinates reflex reactions and voluntary movements by carrying motor impulses from the brain to muscles and glands and sensory data from peripheral nerves to the brain.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

• Outside the CNS, the PNS is made up of ganglia and nerves.
• The nerves that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body are composed of bundles of axons, or nerve fibers.
• The PNS is made up of two primary types of nerves:
  • Spinal nerves, which come from the spinal cord.
  • Cranial nerves, which come from the brain.
• The PNS has touch, pain, and temperature receptors in addition to the sensory receptors that are present throughout the body.
• These receptors provide signals to the central nervous system (CNS) for processing after detecting environmental inputs.
• Moreover, the PNS’s autonomic nerves regulate involuntary functions of the body including breathing, digestion, and heart rate.
• Autonomic nervous system: The sympathetic and parasympathetic are the branches of the autonomic nervous system have conflicting impacts on physiological functions that maintain homeostasis.

An animal’s nervous system is a complex structure of tissues and cells that is essential to its ability to operate. Animals nervous system parts and functions consist of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, coordinating sensory input, processing information, and generating responses to maintain homeostasis and regulate bodily functions. The nervous system regulates every bodily function, from basic reflexes to intricate actions. In this article, we will cover the animal nervous system, its parts, classification, and more. You can also find Animals Nervous System notes here.