In a very general sense, the nervous system can be thought of as having 3 essential roles: sensing, integrating, and responding. The components of the nervous system responsible for carrying out those roles are the sensory component, the integrative component and the motor component. The sensory component of the nervous system detects changes that occur both outside and inside the body. The integrative component of the nervous system interprets and processes the information that arrives from the sensory component. The motor component carries out changes based on the interpretation by the integrative component of the nervous system. For example, when the sensory component detects an increase in external light level, the integrative component processes the information, and the motor component is activated to constrict the pupils of the eyes. The sensory, integrative and motor components of the nervous system interact to allow us to respond appropriately to the constantly changing conditions inside and around our bodies. While this is a very simplified picture of the nervous system, keeping this general scheme in mind will help to sort out the details that come later.
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