Weighs three pounds

Billions of information hubs

Trillions of electrical links Processes information faster than the most sophisticated computer Makes up 3% of our body weight up uses !% of our blood supply

The Miracle of the Hu

The Nervous System

Module "

Introduction

#er$ous system is in two sections% the central &#'( and the peripheral P#'

When blood supply is cut off from neurons, the lysosomes in the cell body burst? Do you remember the function of Lysosomes in the cell?

Cell Destruction
#eurons are destroyed) *nce you ha$e lost a neuron it is gone fore$er) This condition is called Hypoxi

The br in needs not only oxy"en but fuel!

+lucose is the brains only fuel) *ther cells can use other nutrients to make ,TP but the brain only uses glucose)

What is the condition called when the glucose le$el in your brain drops-

The Spin l Chord

Spin l Cord

&ommunication link between the P#' and the brain .ncased in $ertebral column starting at the second lumbar

+ets smaller in diameter as it goes from the brain to the lower back) ./cept for the% &er$ical enlargement% enlarges for ner$es of upper limbs 0umbar enlargement% enlarges for ner$es of lower limbs)

Spin l Chord

&onus medullaris% spine tapers to a cone like structure &auda e1uina% structure and the many ner$es( 2horses tail3

Cross Section of Spine

+ray portion is gray matter and the lighter portion is white matter

White matter 2black in photo3 is organi4ed into three basic columns% dorsal 2back3( lateral 2side3( $entral 2belly3) These columns are further di$ided into f sciculi which are also called ner$e tracts) These carry action potentials to and from the brain)

+ray matter is organi4ed into horns) 'ensory neurons synapse with association neurons in the dors l horn!

&ell bodies of the motor neurons are found in the ventr l horn)

Dors l #oots enter spinal cord at the posterior horn and it carries afferent signals from sensory receptors to the spinal chord)

Dors l #oots 5 $entr l #oots contains ganglion which is made up of cell bodies of fferent neurons( these are unipol r, form a spinal ner$e)

Spin l %enin"es
Three layers to protect the spinal cord Between the pia and arachnoid mater is &'6 7ura mater is connected to bones of spine Between the $ertebral column and the dura mater is the epidural space( where epidural anesthetic is administered8 deacti$ates spinal ner$es)

The #eflex &rc

#eflex rc

'ometimes your muscles can react before your brain e$en knows it) Burned9pain receptors in P#' stimulated9send afferent message to spinal cord &#'9'end message to fle/or muscles in your arm9hand pulls away :efle/ ,rc allows for a 1uick response

'ensory info from afferent P#' ner$e 'ent to 'pinal &ord ,ssociation neuron directs message to efferent neuron .fferent neuron send message effector :esponse generated)

'ensory ,fferent #euron

;entral horn

Circuits in the Spin l Cord

#eurons need to be arranged in circuits so that they can send signals muscles and the brain) 'imple circuits were created so tasks can be completed with minimum number or ner$es)

Circuits in the Spin l Cord

7i$erging circuits% one neuron stimulates the refle/ and the other sends a message to the brian) 'o you can both react 1uickly and learn from the e/perience) &on$erging circuits% two neurons both send signals to the same effector neuron) This allows the refle/ to be controlled by both the refle/ arc and the brain)

'uestion

")< When you touch a hot sto$e( your hand pulls back 1uickly as a result of the refle/ arc) =owe$er( when you touch warm water( you do not pull your hand back 1uickly) Thus( the refle/ arc has a decision making mechanism that interprets the afferent signals and determines whether or not the refle/ should be acti$ated) Which neuron in the refle/ arc is responsible for this-

&scendin" nd Descendin" ( th) ys in the Spin l cord

Spin l Cord
&onduit for messages from the brain to the P#' Two pathways the motor and sensory Motor pathways% descending pathways from &#' 2brain3 to the muscles( brain to spinal cord to muscle) 'ensory pathways% ascending pathways( action potentials begin in the receptors of the P#' and tra$el up the spinal cord to the brain)

If you punch someone )ith your ri"ht fist, )h t h ppens?

:ight hand so signal originates in primary motor corte/ *upper neurons+ on the left side of the brain)

This is fine muscle mo$ement so it will take a direct pathway from the brain to the muscles) This takes two motor neurons only)

& %otor ( th) y

,pper neurons 2motor corte/3 send action potentials Through midbrain( through the pons and to the medulla) ,/on tra$els through a %edull ry pyr mid, about "!% of a/ons cross o$er 2decussation3 The other !% of a/ons do not cross o$er( it will do that later in the spinal cord) ,/on tra$els to spinal ner$es in cord to efferent ner$es( these go to the muscles that clench the fist) ,ssociation neuron in the upper motor a/on synapses with a lower motor neuron This carries the signals to the neuromuscular >unction of muscle)

& %otor ( th) y

The other a/on 2the one that did not cross o$er3 crosses from the left side of spinal chord to the right side) 'ynapses with an association neuron ,ssociation neuron synapses with another lower motor neuron) Motor neuron then carries the signal to another neuromuscular >unction ?f the motor neuron takes a pathway with more synapses they are called indirect motor p th) ys) 0ateral &orticospinal Tract

Sensory p th) ys
,scending pathways because they send signals from receptors to the brain Many different sensory pathways) ,nterior 'pinothalamic Tract% ,nterior or back of spinal cord( spinothalamic means from the spinal cord to the thalamus) &arries signals from light touch sensations( tickle sensations and itching)

Sensory p th) ys
Pathway begins with receptors which are superficial in the skin 2touch3 ,ction potentials produced in the primary neuron ,/on di$erges and each end synapses with an association neuron .ach association neuron synapses with secondary neuron ,/ons cross o$er at the spinal cord and tra$el up the anterior spinothalamic tract

Sensory p th) ys
'econdary neurons tra$el up to the thalamus

'ynapse with tertiary 23rd3 neurons

'ent to somatic sensory area to interpret the signals More synapses than in descending motor pathways because sensory info must be regulated)

central sulcus frontal lobe

parietal lobe

occipital lobe lateral fissure

cerebellum

temporal lobe

primary somatic sensory area primary motor corte/ Premotor area Prefontal ,rea Taste ,rea Wernicke@s area Broca@s area auditory association area primary auditory area somatic sensory association area $isual association area $isual corte/

afferent neuron cell body spinal cord afferent message

efferent message efferent neuron cell body association neuron