STRUCTURES:

● brain, spinal cord, & peripheral nerves

FUNCTION:

● Recognizes and coordinates the body’s Structure of a Neuron

response to changes in its internal and
external environments

● The ultimate control of all the organ

systems is done by the nervous system.

A. Neurons

- Neurons are nerve cells that carry

electrical impulses through the body

- Impulse = message 1. Dendrites: receive impulses

- Neurons are classified according to the
direction an impulse travels.
3 Types of Neurons
1. Sensory: carry impulses from sense organs
to the brain
2. Motor: carry impulses from the brain to
muscles & glands
3. Interneurons: connect sensory and motor
neurons and process impulses
2. Cell body: contains nucleus & cytoplasm,
largest part of cell
3. Axon: transmit impulses away from
cell body
4. Myelin Sheath: covering that
insulates the axon, sending the
impulse faster and gives axon a
whitish appearance
- Neurons with axons that have myelin
make up “white matter” in the brain,
while neurons without myelin are called
gray matter
5. Nodes: gaps in the myelin sheath where
membrane is exposed Impulses jump from one
node to the next

6. Axon terminals: transmits impulse

(message) to next cell

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II. Transmission of an Impulse A neuron (nerve cell) has a:

- A nerve impulse is an electrical Cell body – which contains a single nucleus

message.

Dendrite – which is a cytoplasmic

- At rest, no impulse is being sent.
- The neuron must be stimulated (receive
input) to send a impulse.
extension from the cell body, that usually
receives information from other neurons
and transmits the information to the cell
body

Divisions of the Nervous System Axon – which is a single long cell process
that leaves the cell body at the axon hillock
and conducts sensory signals to the CNS
2 major divisions: and motor signals away from the CNS.

Nervous System A. The Central Nervous System (CNS)

● Central Nervous System

- Control center of the body
- Brain
- Relays messages, processes &
- Spinal Cord
analyzes information
● Peripheral Nervous System
- Nerve cells
Made of two parts:
- Brain
Cells of the Nervous System - Spinal cord

Neurons 1. The Brain

- receive stimuli, conduct action - Impulses flow to and from the brain
potentials, and transmit signals to other - 100 billion neurons, mainly
neurons or effector organs.
interneurons

Glial cells
2. Spinal Cord
- supportive cells of the CNS and PNS,
meaning these cells do not conduct - Main communication link between
action potentials. Instead, glial cells brain and the rest of the body
carry out different functions that - Processes information such as
enhance neuron function and maintain reflexes
normal conditions within nervous tissue.
1. Protection of the CNS
NEURONS
- Brain and spinal cord are protected by:
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a) Bone – skull and vertebrae a. Cerebral Hemispheres (Cerebrum)

b) Meninges – layers of connective tissue Left and right hemispheres

that surround the organs - Left brain – logic, language, math
- Right brain – creativity
c) Cerebrospinal fluid – fluid found in Connected by the corpus callosum
between meninges and organ (communication link between right and
- Acts as a shock absorber left).
- Continually circulates around the
brain

DISEASE: Meningitis
- Inflammation of the meninges
- Can be caused by an viral , bacterial or
microorganism infection
- Causes headaches, neck stiffness,
confusion, sensitivity to light and sound
- Can be life threatening

DISEASE: Hydrocephalus (“water on the

brain”)
- Accumulation of CSF in the brain
- Exerts pressure on the brain causing brain
damage

The surface is made of ridges (gyri) and

2. Regions of the Brain
grooves (sulci).

- Cerebral hemispheres (Left & Right)

Fissures (deep grooves) divide the
- Diencephalon
cerebrum into four lobes
- Brain stem
- Cerebellum
Occipital Lobe: visual integration

Parietal: spatial knowledge, math,

pressure and pain

Temporal: memories, auditory, language

Frontal: emotion, future planning,

judgment, muscle movements,

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 Medulla oblongata - involuntary activities
(breathing, heart rate, blood
pressure).

D. Cerebellum
- “Little brain” inferior to and posterior
to cerebral cortex

- Coordination, posture, motor

learning.
Limbic System – involved in emotion,
motivation, arousal, memory, and learning 3. Spinal Cord
- Cylinder of nervous tissue that
Amygdala – fear begins at base of brain

Hippocampus – memory formation - Protected by the vertebral column

B. Diencephalon
Sits on top of brain stem
Two main parts:
1) Thalamus – relay between sensory
areas and cerebrum
2) Hypothalumus – regulates involuntary
responses & hormone secretions of the
pituitary gland, controls temp
C. Brain Stem
Attaches brain to spinalcord
and meninges.
- Spinal nerves extend from the cord
through each vertebrae
- Main communication link between
brain and the body.
4. Traumatic Brain Injuries & Diseases
Concussion
- Slight or mild brain injury
- Bleeding & tearing of nerve fibers
happened
- Recovery likely with some memory
loss

Parts of the brain stem Contusion

- A more severe TBI
Midbrain – vision, hearing, motor control - Nervous tissue destruction occurs
- Nervous tissue does not regenerate
Pons – breathing, sleep

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Cerebral edema messages between the body and
- Swelling from the inflammatory the CNS
response - Receives info from the environment
- May compress and kill brain tissue - Transmits commands from CNS to
organs and glands
Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) - Contains mostly motor and sensory
- Commonly called a stroke neurons
- The result of a blocked or ruptured blood
vessel supplying a region of the brain
Divisions of the PNS
- Brain tissue supplied with oxygen from that
blood source dies
- Loss of some functions or death may result Sensory division
- transmits impulses from sense
Alzheimer’s Disease organs to the central nervous
system
- Progressive degenerative brain disease
- Mostly seen in the elderly, but may begin in
Motor division
middle age
- Structural changes in the brain include ● transmits impulses from the central
abnormal protein deposits and twisted nervous system to the muscles or
fibers within neurons glands
- Victims experience memory loss, irritability, ● Divided into 2 divisions
confusion and ultimately, hallucinations and
- Somatic
death
- Autonomic
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Motor Division
● Sensory Division

Somatic N.S.
● Motor Division
● Regulates activities that are under
- Somatic NS
conscious control
- Autonomic NS ● Example: movement of muscles (wiggle
- Sympathetic toe)
- Parasympathetic ● Involved in reflexes (quick, automatic
response to stimulus)
B. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
Autonomic N.S.
- Peripheral Nervous System is made ● Regulates activities that are automatic
up of all the nerves and ganglia or involuntary
● Example: heart rate
(nerve cell bodies) that carry
● Consists of only motor nerves

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 ● Divided into two divisions
- Sympathetic division
- Parasympathetic division

Autonomic N.S. Division

Sympathetic
- “Fight-or-Flight”
- Takes over to increase activities
- Remember as the “E” division = exercise,
excitement, emergency, and
embarrassment.

Parasympathetic
- “Rest and Digest
- Conserves energy
- Maintains daily necessary body
functions
- Remember as the “D” division =
digestion, defecation, and diuresis
(urination)

Peripheral Nervous System & Reflexes

- The peripheral nervous system is also
involved in reflexes.
- A reflex is a quick and unconscious
response to a stimulus
- The brain is not involved with reflexes.
- The impulse travels up sensory neurons,
to the spinal cord (interneuron), then
immediately travels down motor
neurons for a response.
- The pathway the impulse travels is Internal Communication
called the reflex arc. - Internal communication is critical to
maintain homeostasis.
- Sensory neurons are constantly sending
information to the brain about the
internal environment.
- The brain responds by sending signals
through the motor neurons to maintain
homeostasis.

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Reflex Pathway

Sensory input >

- Sensory Neuron >

Spine (Interneuron) >

- Motor neuron
>> Involuntary Reflex (response)

Conscious Response Pathway

Sensory Input >

- Sensory Neuron >

Brain (Interneurons) >

- Motor Neuron >
>>Voluntary Movement (Response)