What are the major nervous pathways coordinated by the central nervous system? Contrast these systems in terms of their neural pathways and an individual's ability to control them.
The CNS coordinates two major nervous pathways, the somatic and autonomic pathways. A neural pathway of the somatic system commonly contains one sensor neuron and one motor neuron which both usually lie outside of the CNS. The somatic nerve pairs form reflex arcs that enervate skeletal muscle. Organisms usually have some conscious control over or at least some awareness of the reflexes initiated by somatic nerve impulses. In contrast, organisms have little conscious awareness of or control over the results of stimulation by the autonomic system. Autonomic system neural pathways regulate the activities of the internal organs and differ from somatic pathways by having two motor neurons rather than one.
