PYC1512
Assignment 1
Semester 1
Unique NO: 111217
2026
, PYC1512 – Foundations of Sub-disciplines in Psychology
Semester 1 Assignment 1 | Unique Number: 111217
Question 1 (4 marks): Difference between the CNS and PNS
The human nervous system is divided into two major components: the Central
Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS).
Central Nervous System (CNS)
The CNS consists of the brain and the spinal cord. It functions as the primary control
centre of the body, responsible for processing, integrating, and coordinating all
sensory information received from the body, as well as generating appropriate motor
responses. The spinal cord relays messages between the brain and the rest of the
body and also coordinates reflex actions. The brain interprets information and directs
both voluntary and involuntary behaviour.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The PNS comprises all the nerve fibres and neural structures that exist outside the
brain and spinal cord. It serves as the communication network that links the CNS to
every other organ, muscle, and gland in the body, carrying both incoming
(sensory/afferent) and outgoing (motor/efferent) signals. The PNS is further
subdivided into the somatic nervous system, which governs voluntary skeletal
muscle movements, and the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates
involuntary functions of internal organs such as the heart, lungs, and digestive
system.
Key Distinction
In essence, the CNS processes and interprets information, while the PNS transmits
information to and from the CNS. Neither system functions effectively in isolation;
together they form an integrated network that underpins all human behaviour and
experience.
Question 2 (2 marks): Functions of the Autonomic Nervous System
Assignment 1
Semester 1
Unique NO: 111217
2026
, PYC1512 – Foundations of Sub-disciplines in Psychology
Semester 1 Assignment 1 | Unique Number: 111217
Question 1 (4 marks): Difference between the CNS and PNS
The human nervous system is divided into two major components: the Central
Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS).
Central Nervous System (CNS)
The CNS consists of the brain and the spinal cord. It functions as the primary control
centre of the body, responsible for processing, integrating, and coordinating all
sensory information received from the body, as well as generating appropriate motor
responses. The spinal cord relays messages between the brain and the rest of the
body and also coordinates reflex actions. The brain interprets information and directs
both voluntary and involuntary behaviour.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The PNS comprises all the nerve fibres and neural structures that exist outside the
brain and spinal cord. It serves as the communication network that links the CNS to
every other organ, muscle, and gland in the body, carrying both incoming
(sensory/afferent) and outgoing (motor/efferent) signals. The PNS is further
subdivided into the somatic nervous system, which governs voluntary skeletal
muscle movements, and the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates
involuntary functions of internal organs such as the heart, lungs, and digestive
system.
Key Distinction
In essence, the CNS processes and interprets information, while the PNS transmits
information to and from the CNS. Neither system functions effectively in isolation;
together they form an integrated network that underpins all human behaviour and
experience.
Question 2 (2 marks): Functions of the Autonomic Nervous System
