Question

So, what I understand by neural system terms is Central nervous system [CNS]- consist of brain and spinal cordPeripheral nervous system [PNS]- consist of cranial and spinal nerves(all the nerves in the body)A further classification of PNS isI) Autonomous nervous system

II)somatic nervous system (Here, my understanding is that both the system [somatic and Autonomous nervous system] are made up of cranial and spinal nerve, and they are just classified based on the different organs that they are functioning upon[i.e for somatic it is skeleton muscles and for autonomous, it is heart, smooth muscles and involuntary organs]and not on composition ,since both systems consist of cranial and spinal nerves) Now,i read the lines that are there (beside the red line) in picture below and I am highly confused now. Now, it says that myelinated nerve fibers are found in cranial and spinal nerves i.e all the nerves in the body a.k.a Peripheral nervous system. And on another note, it says unmyelinated nerve fibres are found in autonomous nervous system and somatic nervous system. but isn't autonomous and somatic nervous system makes up the peripheral nervous system? so according to the first point (myelinated nerve fibres is present in peripheral nervous system.) Therefore, It(somatic and autonomous nervous systemi.e the peripheral system) should contain myelinated nerve fibres but here ,in just the next line ,it states that it contains unmyelinated nerve fibre? By my understanding of the above mentioned terms......
My confusion here is....... Does it contain both (myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibre)? or is there a printing mistake? or is my understanding of terminology is wrong?
If so, please correct me. Thank you so much

Answer 1

The autonomic and somatic nervous systems are part of the peripheral nervous system. The autonomic system contains both myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers, while the somatic system is primarily composed of myelinated nerve fibers.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nervous system is divided into two major regions: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord, while the PNS includes the cranial and spinal nerves. The PNS can be further divided into the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary functions, such as heart rate and digestion, and contains both myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers. The somatic nervous system controls voluntary movements and is primarily composed of myelinated nerve fibers. So, to summarize, both the autonomic and somatic nervous systems are part of the peripheral nervous system. The autonomic system contains both myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers, while the somatic system is primarily composed of myelinated nerve fibers. Your understanding of the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is largely correct.

The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord, while the PNS consists of the cranial and spinal nerves that extend beyond the CNS. Within the PNS, there are two subdivisions: the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions and is further divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and the somatic nervous system, which controls voluntary movements. Regarding your confusion, both myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers are indeed found within the peripheral nervous system. Myelinated nerve fibers are typically associated with the somatic nervous system and carry messages that control voluntary movements and convey sensory information, leading to faster signal transmission. Unmyelinated fibers, which are often slower at conducting impulses, can be found in the autonomic nervous system, where the speed of transmission is less critical for the functions they regulate. So, to clarify, there is no contradiction here. The peripheral nervous system contains both myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers; they are just used in different parts of the nervous system based on their function and the speed requirement of the signal they are carrying.