Nervous System

1. Parts of the neuron

2. Organization of the nervous system
3. Neural communication
4. Neurotransmitters & receptors
5. Autonomic Nervous system
 Cells of the Nervous System
• Two major cell types
1. Neurons
• Electrical and chemical communication
2. Glia
• Important for development and support
• Myelin

Neurons are the fundamental unit of the

nervous system
The Neuron
Receive & Integrate
Inputs

Impulse conduction

Neurotransmitter
Secretion
Neurons – diversity of types

dendrites

cell body
axon

Purkinje Cell
Cortical Pyramidal Neuron
Simple Complex
Interconnected
Nerve Neural Ganglia Anterior specialization
net ganglia Segmentation ‘brain’

Leech
Hydra

# of neurons
nematode
300 Human
100 x 109
• Even ‘simple’ nervous systems can display
very complex behaviour

• eg nematodes, leeches, and flies can all

display learning!
 Organization of the Vertebrate
Nervous System
Central
Nervous Brain Spinal Cord
System

Peripheral Sensory Neurons Motor Neurons

Nervous (afferent) (efferent)
System

Autonomic Voluntary
Sensory
(somatic)
Receptors
 Division of the
Motor Nervous System
Autonomic Voluntary

Sympathetic
Things you control
Parasympathetic

Heart rate
Cardiovascular function
Pupil dilation
Lung function
 Autonomic Nervous System
• Parallel Systems that innervate the same target
• Opposing effects on the target
•Usually in balance

Sympathetic Parasympathetic

Dilate pupil Constrict pupil

Increase heart rate Decrease Heart Rate
The Reflex Arc
 Summary & Key Points
1. The fundamental cell of the nervous
system is the neuron.
2. The neuron has functionally specialized
regions
3. Evolution of the nervous system includes
increasing cell number and
interconnection
4. Subdivisions of the vertebrate nervous
system
 Neural Communication
Basic Concepts
1. Neurons use electrical and chemical
mechanisms
Neural Signalling

Within Between
This connection is
neurons neurons called the synapse

electrical chemical &

electrical
 Bioelectric Potentials
• Neurons have an electrical potential
(voltage) across the cell membrane

• The inside of the cell is more negative

than the outside
– called the Resting Membrane Potential
 Measuring Membrane Potential
amplifier
microelectrode

Reference Membrane potential

electrode

0 mV

cell
-80 mV
time
Bathing solution
 Bioelectric Potentials
• Action Potentials are rapid changes in
resting membrane potential that travel
down the axon

• Action Potentials initiate synaptic

transmission at the nerve terminal
 Action Potentials
• What are they?
– Rapid reversal of the resting membrane
potential

0 mV

cell
-80 mV
3 ms
 Action Potential

Overshoot
Rising phase or
depolarization
Falling phase or
0 mV Repolarization
Threshold Potential

-80 mV
Resting membrane Undershoot or after-
potential hyperpolarization
 Voltage-gated channels
Na+
K+

Na+
K+
Section of
Membrane Potential

Axon

time
 Membrane Potential

Na+
Na+

time
K+
K+