Detailed overview of the nervous system of the domestic cat

Here is a detailed overview of the nervous system of the domestic cat:

The cat's nervous system, like that of all mammals, can be broken down into the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.

The Central Nervous System consists of the brain and spinal cord.

The cat brain is similar in organization to the human brain, containing the forebrain (which includes the cerebrum and thalamus), midbrain, and hindbrain (which includes the cerebellum and medulla oblongata). However, the cat brain is significantly smaller relative to body size compared to humans.

Some key things to know about the cat brain:

• The cerebrum is smaller compared to body size than many other mammals. However, areas associated with sensory processing (sight, hearing, touch) are well-developed, reflecting the cat's strong reliance on these senses for hunting.
• The cerebellum coordinates motor control and balance, important for their agility and hunting abilities.
• The olfactory bulbs are 40x larger than in humans, showing their enhanced sense of smell.

The cat spinal cord resembles the human spinal cord, containing ascending and descending nerve tracts. It transmits information between the brain and the rest of the body.

The Peripheral Nervous System consists of nerve circuits originating from the central nervous system that interface with sensory receptors and govern organs/tissues outside the brain and spinal cord, like muscles.

It contains the somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system:

• The somatic system includes the neurons that innervate skeletal muscles to enable voluntary movement.
• The autonomic system controls involuntary functions like digestion and heart rate. It has sympathetic and parasympathetic arms for “fight or flight” vs “rest and digest” responses.

I hope this helps summarize the basic organization and features of the cat's nervous system? Let me know if you need any part explained further or have additional questions!

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.