ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 looks at the control systems in the human body: the primary role of the nervous system, and the secondary role of the endocrine system. Nervous tissue is made up of neurons (dendrites, cell bodies, and axons) and neuroglia. Nerves are located in bundles, and synapses form at neuronal junctions. The stimulation of a neuron results in the generation of electrical current. The nervous system is composed of the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord and is divided into the central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS) systems. The PNS is further divided into the afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) divisions, which contain the somatic and autonomic (sympathetic and parasympathetic) pathways. The endocrine system, which acts slower than the nervous system, is composed of endocrine organs which contain hormones that regulate bodily function. Although the metabolic requirements of the body at rest are low, the nervous and endocrine systems play a larger role during exercise.
