Unit 3: Living Things and Their

Environment
MODULE 1: COORDINATED FUNCTIONS OF THE NERVOUS, ENDOCRINE
AND REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS
 Major Divisions and Parts of the Nervous System

1. Central Nervous System (CNS) – the CNS

serves as the main processing center for the entire
nervous system. It consists of two main
components, namely the:

a. Brain – This an organ located within the skull

that functions as organizer and distributor of
information for the body.
o Cerebrum – large, upper
part of the brain that
controls activity and
thought.
o Cerebellum – the part
under the Cerebrum that
controls posture, balance,
and coordination.
o Brain Stem – the part
that connects the brain to the Spinal Cord and controls automatic
functions such as breathing, digestion, heart rate, and blood pressure.

b. Spinal Cord – this serves as a channel for signals between the brain and
the rest of the body, and control simple musculoskeletal reflexes without
input from the brain.

2. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) – the PNS connects the central nervous
system to the organs and limbs. It has two main divisions:
Unit 3: Living Things and Their
Environment
a. Somatic Nervous System – this
system is associated with the voluntary control
of the body movements and has two main
parts:
o Spinal Nerves – the nerves that carry
motor and sensory signals between the spinal
cord and the body.
o Cranial Nerves – the nerve fibers that
carry information in and out of the brain stem.

b. Autonomic Nervous System – this

system is associated with the involuntary control of body movements and
has two subdivisions:

o Sympathetic – it
is activated when
the body is in a
dynamic role or
stress (e.g.,
increased heart
rate and breathing,
dilation of pupil,
sweating, etc.)
o Parasympathetic
– it maintains body
functions and
restores the body to normal or relaxed mode.

 The Nerve Cell

Unit 3: Living Things and Their
Environment
o the basic unit of the nervous system
o also known as “Neurons”
o there are billions of neurons in the body some
are alone and some are together forming organs
like the brain and the spinal cord
o there are 12 to 14 billion of neurons in one
part of the brain
o has a cell body containing the nucleus
o Dendrites and Axons – root-like structures
projecting out of the cell body
o a cell body have as many as 200 dendrites
carrying impulses towards the cell body
o a single dendrite can be 1 m long!
o Axons carry impulses away from the cell body
o axons pass impulses to the dendrites of other neurons or cell body of muscle
cells
o axons can be grouped together into cable-like bundles called nerves

 Control of body processes through the nervous system

o The Nerve Impulse

 is a combination of an electrical charge and a chemical reaction
 is not a flow of electricity
but an electrochemical
signal moving along the
neuron
 cannot jump from from one
neuron to another
 when a nerve impulse
comes to the end of the
Axon, it produces the
chemical called,
neurotransmitter, to be
released
Unit 3: Living Things and Their
Environment
 the chemical crosses the space between neurons called synapse and
stimulates the nerve impulse to start in the next dendrite