How They Interact and Impact Behavior

Human behavior, in all its complexity, is partly the product of interactions between two major physiological components: the nervous and endocrine systems. The nervous system works with the endocrine system to detect and transmit signals from internal and external stimuli to maintain homeostasis in the body.

Both of these systems help regulate the electrical and chemical processes that transmit information to and between the brain and body. These functions include metabolism, reproduction, emotions and homeostasis.

How the nervous and endocrine systems work together

These two important systems work together to perform several important functions, including:

• Communication: The nervous system uses neurotransmitters and electrical impulses to send information rapidly over short distances. The endocrine system relies on the release of hormones into the bloodstream, which is slow but long-lasting.
• Response coordination: The nervous system coordinates reactions such as reflexes and muscle contractions. The endocrine system is responsible for processes such as metabolism and reproduction.
• Stress: When faced with stress, the nervous system switches to rapid, short-term actions. The endocrine system releases cortisol, which affects the body over a long period of time.

Nervous system

Neurons—the bundles that make up nerves—are the building blocks of the body’s communication system. They are organized into networks that allow signals to travel between the brain and the body. These networks, consisting of approximately 86 billion neurons, Consists of the nervous system.

As a result, the nervous system has two parts: the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system.

Central Nervous System

The central nervous system (CNS) is made up of the brain and spinal cord. As the name suggests, together they form the literal core of the body’s communication system.

They are surrounded by protective barriers, including bone (skull and spine) and membranous tissue known as the meninges. Additionally, the brain and spinal cord are suspended in cerebrospinal fluid.

The CNS processes every sensation and thought you experience. Receptors throughout the body collect sensory information and pass it on to the CNS. The CNS sends messages to the rest of the body to control movement, actions, and reactions to the environment.

Peripheral nervous system

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of nerves that extend beyond the central nervous system. The neural networks that make up the PNS are actually bundles of axons from neuron cells. Nerve bundles range from relatively small to large enough for the human eye to see.

The PNS is further divided into two different systems: the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.

Somatic Nervous System

The somatic nervous system transmits sensory communication and is responsible for voluntary movement and action. It consists of sensory (afferent) neurons and motor (afferent) neurons.

Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary functions such as your heart rate, breathing, digestion and blood pressure. This system is also involved in emotional responses such as sweating and crying. The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system controls the body’s response to an emergency. When the system is awakened, your heart and breathing rate increase, digestion slows or stops, your pupils dilate, and you sweat.

The parasympathetic nervous system balances the sympathetic system. After a crisis or threat has passed, it helps your body slow down and breathing rates, restart digestion, contract your pupils, and stop sweating.

Endocrine system

The endocrine system consists of glands that secrete chemical messengers known as hormones, which are carried into the bloodstream into organs and tissues to regulate functions such as metabolism, digestion, blood pressure, and growth.

Although the endocrine system is not directly connected to the nervous system, the two interact in a number of ways.

They are connected by the hypothalamus, a small cluster of nuclei at the base of the cortex that controls a surprising amount of human behavior, including emotional and stress responses. It also includes basic drives such as:

Specifically, the hypothalamus controls the pituitary gland, which in turn regulates the release of hormones from other glands in the endocrine system.

Although the nervous and endocrine systems are separate systems, they interact in important ways to influence human behavior. They work to help people respond to the world around them and to each other.