MODULE
2
The nervous system and the brain
Introduction
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Imagine you’re in an aeroplane, flying over Brisbane at night. As you look down, you can see the amazing network of communication and transport infrastructure: car headlights dotted along freeways and side streets; trains speeding along designated routes; arterial roads converging on transport hubs; and CityCats hurtling across the Brisbane (Maiwar) River towards the Story Bridge. Imagine that all this is being controlled from one central point. Now you have an idea of the intricacies of your brain and nervous system – only yours would be more than 20,000 times larger and more complex! Sometimes extra pressure can be put on the system – comparable with how a car accident on the Riverside Express can cause delays both in and out of Brisbane city, or when a train delay in Ipswich interrupts the ebb and flow of commuters’ working day. The system is subjected to stress and the same can happen to a person. Strategies to deal with such stressors and return the system to normal can be implemented through our understanding of psychological processes. We can also use our knowledge of our nervous systems to help deal with both biological and psychological stress on our bodies and minds. In this module, you will learn more about the human nervous system and how it functions. You will describe the different divisions of the nervous system (central and peripheral nervous systems and their associated subdivisions) in responding to, and integrating and coordinating with, sensory stimuli received by the body. You will understand how brain function can be viewed as both localised and distributed with some functions. For example, the occipital lobe’s localised role in vision versus the multiple brain regions involved in memory. Knowledge of the human nervous system is important for understanding how we navigate, move, survive and make the best of the everyday world we live in.
Prior knowledge Prior knowledge quiz
64
PSYCHOLOGY FOR QUEENSLAND UNITS 3 & 4
02_MOS_PSY_QCE_U34_SB_44320.indd 64
Check your understanding of concepts related to the nervous system and the brain before you start.
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
12/06/25 3:47 PM