Somatic system – conscious part of the nervous system
The somatic system is the part of the nervous system responsible for carrying motor and sensory information to and from the central nervous system.
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Somatic = so-minded to do something The person must form an intention to do something, such a moving an arm or a leg |
The woman was so-minded (somatic) to volunteer (voluntary) as a helper in the soup kitchen.
Telling your biceps and triceps to contract and relax in order to move your arm is a typical function of the somatic (voluntary) nervous system.
The somatic system is made up of nerves that connect to the sensory organs and all skeletal muscles. The system is responsible for nearly all voluntary (deliberate, intentional) muscle movements as well as for processing information that arrives via external stimuli through the sensory receptors for hearing, touch, and sight, taste and smell.
