11: The Body’s Motor Pathways – Somatic and Autonomic Function
- Page ID
- 177856
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The nervous system sends commands from the brain and spinal cord to the body through efferent pathways. Two major routes carry those commands. The somatic motor division controls voluntary movement by activating skeletal muscle. The autonomic division regulates the internal environment by influencing smooth and cardiac muscle and glandular tissue. Both divisions rely on rapid chemical communication between neurons and their targets, then convert those signals into cellular responses that produce movement or regulate organ function. These motor pathways work with the endocrine and immune systems to stabilize internal conditions, a process called homeostasis. As you study other systems, you will continue to see how neural output, hormones, and local signals coordinate to maintain balance and support behavior