PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
• Nerves and ganglia outside the central
nervous system
- Consists of nerves and scattered
ganglia and groups of neuronal cell
bodes
• Nerve = bundle of neuron fibers
o Within a nerve, neuron fibers or
processes are wrapped in
protective connective tissue
coverings
• Neuron fibers are bundled by connective
tissue
STRUCTURE OF A NERVE
• Each fiber is covered with delicate tissue
sheath called Endoneurium
• Groups of fibers are bound into fascicles by
perineurium (tissue wrapping to form
fascicles or fiber bundle)
• Fascicles are bound together by
epineurium (to form cord-like nerve)
CLASSIFICATION OF NERVES
• Mixed nerves – both sensory & motor fibers
• Afferent (sensory) nerves – carry impulses
toward the CNS
• Efferent (motor) nerves – carry impulses
away from the CNS
CRANIAL NERVES
• 12 pairs of nerves that mostly serve the
head and neck
• Numbered in order, front to back
• Most are mixed nerves, 3 are sensory only,
5 are motor in function
• Only vagus nerve extends to thoracic and
abdominal cavities
I – Olfactory nerve: (sensory) sensory for smell
o To test the function: subject is ask to sniff
and identify aromatic substances
II – Optic nerve: (sensory) sensory for vision
o To test: tested with eye chart
III – Oculomotor nerve: supplies motor fibers to
eye muscles that direct eyeball eye lid, controlling
lens shape and pupil size
o To test: pupils are examined for size, shape
and size equality; pupillary reflex is also
tested using pen light (pupils should
constrict when illuminated), eye
convergence (ability to follow moving
objects)
IV – Trochlear: supplies motor fiber to eye
muscles (superior oblique muscle)
o To test: ability follow moving objects
V – (mixed nerve) Trigeminal nerve: sensory for
the face; motor fibers to chewing muscles;
conducts sensory impulse from skin of face and
mucosa from nose and mouth
To test: temperature and touch tested with safety
pin; hot & cold objects; corneal reflex is tested with
wisp of cotton; subject is asked to open mouth,
moving jaw from side to side
VI – Abducens nerve: supplies motor fibers to eye
muscles (rolls the eye laterally)
VII – Facial nerve: (mixed nerve), sensory for
taste; motor fibers to the face; activates muscles of
facial expression, lacrimal and salivary glands;
carries impulses from taste buds to anterior tongue
To test tongue – taste sweet, salty, sour, bitter
Asked to close eyes, smile and whistle ANATOMY OF SPINAL NERVES
VIII – Vestibulocochlear nerve (formerly acoustic After being formed, each spinal nerve divides into
nerve): sensory for balancing and hearing the dorsal ramus and ventral ramus, making spinal
cord. Making each spinal curve about half inch
IX – Glossopharyngeal nerve: (mixed nerve) long
sensory for taste; motor fibers to the pharynx
(swallowing, saliva production)
Carries sensory impulses from taste buds of
posterior tongue
X – Vagus nerves: sensory and motor fibers for
pharynx, larynx, and abdominal and thoracic
viscera
o Most fibers here are parasympathetic,
which means they promote digestive
activity and regulate heart activity
XI – Accessory nerve: motor fibers to neck and • Spinal nerves divide soon after leaving the
upper back (activates sternocleidomastoid and spinal cord
trapezius) o Dorsal Rami – serve the skin and
XII – Hypoglossal nerve: motor fibers to tongue muscles of the posterior trunk
movements o Ventral Rami – forms a complex of
networks (plexus) for the anterior
To test: asked to stick out tongue
Dorsal horn of gray matter Dorsal column of WM
SPINAL NERVES
• There is a pair of spinal nerves at the level
of each vertebrae for a total of 31 pairs Dorsal root
• Spinal nerves are formed by the ganglion
combination of the ventral and dorsal roots
of the spinal cord
• Spinal nerves are named for the region
from which they arise Ventral root of
spinal nerve

Ventral horn of GM

Lateral column Ventral column

 PLEXUSES Lumbar plexus
- Serves our lower abdomen, anterior
thigh muscles, leg muscles
Cervical plexus
- Damaged: inability to extend leg, flex
- Serves our diaphragm, skin, muscles of hip, loss of cutaneous sensation
shoulder and neck
- Id damaged: results to respiratory
paralysis or death

Brachial plexus – serves deltoid muscles, skin of

shoulder, muscles and skin of superior thorax Important nerves:
(upper arm and forearm muscles) o Femoral
If damaged: o Obturator

o paralysis and atrophy of deltoid muscle Sacral

o Wrist drop – inability to extend hand and
wrist
o Decrease ability to flex, abduct hand
o Flex and abduct thumb or index finger
o Inability to pick up small objects
o Inability to flex elbow
o Claw hand - Inability to flex fingers apart
Important nerves
- Sciatic nerves (largest nerve in body);
splits into tibial and fibular nerve down
in the leg
- Serves lower trunk and posterior
surface of thigh and leg
- Damaged: inability to extend hip and
flex knee (sciatica), foot drop (inability
to flex foot), inability to plump, flex and
invert foot

AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

• The involuntary branch of the nervous system

• Consists of only one motor nerves
• Divided into two divisions
o Sympathetic division – mobilizes body
Some important nerves: during extreme (fear, exercise, rage)
o Parasympathetic division – allows to
o Axillary
unwind
o Radial
• Regulate cardiac muscles, smooth muscles
o Median
(walls of visceral organs, blood vessels),
o Musculocutaneous
glands
o Ulna
 DIFFERENCES OF SOMATIC & AUTONOMIC
NERVOUS SYSTEMS

SOMATIC AUTONOMIC
Nerves one neuron a chain of two
motor neurons

Effector Skeletal smooth muscle,

cardiac muscle,
glands

Neurotransmitter Always use Use acetylcholine,

acetylcholine epinephrine,
norepinephrine
2 arms:
sympathetic,
parasympathetic

Sympathetic Division
- Called “thoracolumbar”
- Fight or flight
- Response to unusual stimulus
- Takes over to increase activities
- Remember as the “E” division =
exercise, excitement, emergency, and
embarrassment
- Working at full speed
Parasympathetic
- Calles “cranial sacral division”
- Housekeeping activities
- Most active when body is at rest
- Conserves energy
- Maintains daily necessary body
functions
- Remember as the “D” division,
defection, and diuresis

AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONING

• When both divisions serve the same

organs, they cause antagonistic effects,
mainly because their axons release
different neurotransmitters
• Sympathetic fibers or the adrenergic
fibers, release norepinephrine
• Parasympathetic fibers or the cholinergic
fibers, release acetylcholine