body, a number of neurons participate in the process. In this process, one neuron faithfully relays the information to a neighboring neuron. The axon tip of a preceding neuron make functional connections or synapse with dendrites of the other neuron. A neuron is Fig.
. : The Structure of Neuron Nucleus Terminal buttons Dendrites (receiving end) Soma Cytoplasm Axon (transmitting) Myelin sheath Nodes of ranvier functions. Based on location, the nervous system can be divided into two parts: Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). The part of the nervous system found inside the hard bony cases (cranium and backbone) is classified as CNS.
Brain and spinal cord are the organs of this system. The parts of the nervous system other than central nervous system are placed in the PNS. PNS can be further classified into Somatic and Autonomic nervous system. Somatic nervous system is concerned with voluntary actions, while the autonomic nervous system performs functions on which we have no voluntary control.
The organisation of the nervous system is schematically presented in Figure . . never physically connected with another neuron; rather there is a small gap between the two. This gap is known as synaptic cleft.
The neural impulse from one neuron is transmitted by a complex synaptic transmission process to another neuron. The conduction of neural impulse in the axon is electrochemical, while the nature of synaptic transmission is chemical (Figure . ). The chemical substances are known as neurotransmitters.
S TRUCTURE AND F UNCTIONS OF N ERVOUS S YSTEM AND E NDOCRINE S YSTEM AND THEIR R ELATIONSHIP WITH B EHAVIOUR AND E XPERIENCE Since our biological structures play an important role in organisation and execution of behaviour, we shall look at these structures in some detail. In particular, you will read about the nervous system and the endocrine system, which work together in giving a shape to human behaviour and experience. The Nervous System Human nervous system is the most complex and most developed of all living creatures. Though the nervous system functions as a whole, for the ease of study, we can divide it