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The Somatic Nervous System controls muscles and external sensory
receptors like the skin. Muscles and glands are effectors, which convert
the nerve impulses received into a form of action. The Somatic Nervous System provides an automatic and involuntary reaction to a stimulus. Examples of these are the knee-jerk that causes the lower leg to jerk up after tapping just below the knee, blinking in response to a sudden bright light and balance in response to something that causes you to be off balance. These reactions are not conscious. The motor neurons of the Somatic Nervous System are not connected to their targets but are instead connected to other motor neurons that link them to their targets. Signals that inhibit action potentials cannot be passed through the Somatic Nervous System. This makes it different from the Autonomic Nervous System. |
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[©Martin and Ambrose 2001] |
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