8.10—Central and peripheral nervous systems
- Syllabus
- 2021
- Objective
- 8.10
- Level
- A2
The central and peripheral nervous systems divide processing and communication
The central nervous system (CNS) is the brain and spinal cord; the peripheral nervous system (PNS) carries information between the CNS and receptors or effectors. Sensory and motor pathways connect the two.
This division separates integration from transmission. A receptor detects a stimulus, the CNS coordinates a response, and motor neurones carry the output to muscles or glands.
A skin receptor sends an impulse through a sensory neurone in the PNS to the spinal cord; a motor pathway then activates an effector.
The PNS is not only voluntary movement, and the CNS is not simply a cable. Identify the direction and function of each pathway.
ConceptA-Level Edexcel Biology A2