The Peripheral Nervous System

 The peripheral nervous system constitutes all the nerve that lie
outside of the central nervous system.
 Function: To connect the central nervous system to the organs, limbs and skin.
 It allows the brain and spinal cord to receive and send information to other
areas of the body, which allows us to react to our environment.
 The Autonomic Nervous System
The part of the peripheral nervous system that's responsible for regulating
involuntary body functions, such as blood flow, heartbeat, digestion, and breathing.
 Parts:
 Parasympathetic system: This helps maintain normal body functions and
conserve physical resources. Once a threat has passed, this system will slow
the heart rate, slow breathing, reduce blood flow to muscles, and constrict
the pupils. This allows us to return our bodies to a normal resting state.
 Sympathetic system: By regulating the flight-or-fight response,1 the
sympathetic system prepares the body to expend energy to respond to
environmental threats. When action is needed, the sympathetic system
triggers a response by accelerating heart rate, increasing breathing rate,
boosting blood flow to muscles, activating sweat secretion, and dilating the
pupils
 The autonomic nerve pathways connect different organs to the brain stem or spinal cord.
There are also two key neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, that are important for
communication within the autonomic nervous system:

 Acetylcholine is often used in the parasympathetic system to have an inhibiting effect.

 Norepinephrine often works within the sympathetic system to have a stimulating effect on
the body.
 Dysautonomia - Disorder of the ANS
 Symptoms

 Difficulty emptying the bladder

 Disturbing aches and pains
 Dizziness or light-headedness upon standing
 Erectile dysfunction
 Faintness (or even actual fainting spells)
 Fatigue and inertia
 Gastrointestinal symptoms
 Hypotension (low blood pressure)
 Lack of pupillary response
 Some Functions of the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
Neurons

Organ Sympathetic Effect Parasympathetic Effect

Salivary gland Decreases secretion Increases secretion
Heart Increases heart rate Decreases heart rate
Blood vessels Constricts in most organs Dilated in a few organs
Penis Ejaculation Erection
Iris radial muscle Dilates pupil No effect
Iris sphincter muscle No effect Constricts pupils
Tear gland No effect Stimulates secretion
Sweat gland Stimulates secretion No effect
Stomach and intestine No effect Stimulates secretion
Lungs Dilates bronchioles, inhibits Constricts bronchioles,
mucous secretion stimulates mucous secretion
Arrector pili muscles Erects hair and creates No effect
goose bumps
Somatic Nervous System

 The Cranial Nerves

 1. Olfactory nerve- Transmits olfactory sensations to the brain
 2. Optic nerve –it is involved in vision
 3. Oculomotor nerve- muscle function and pupillary response
 4. Trochlear nerve- controls the superior oblique muscle responsible for the downward,
outward and inward movement of the eye.
 5. Trigeminal Nerve – largest cranial nerve and has both sensory and motor functions
 Ophthalmic. The ophthalmic division sends sensory information from the upper part of your face,
including your forehead, scalp, and upper eyelids.
 Maxillary. This division communicates sensory information from the middle part of your face,
including your cheeks, upper lip, and nasal cavity.
 Mandibular. The mandibular division has both a sensory and a motor function. It sends sensory
information from your ears, lower lip, and chin. It also controls the movement of muscles within
your jaw and ear.
6. Abducens nerve - The abducens nerve controls another muscle that’s associated with eye
movement, called the lateral rectus muscle. This muscle is involved in outward eye movement. For
example, you would use it to look to the side.
It starts from the pons region.
7. VII. Facial nerve - The facial nerve provides both sensory and motor functions, including:
a. moving muscles used for facial expressions as well as some muscles in your jaw
b. providing a sense of taste for most of your tongue
c. supplying glands in your head or neck area, such as salivary glands and tear-producing
glands communicating sensations from the outer parts of your ear.
 8. Vestibulocochlear nerve
 The vestibulocochlear nerve has sensory functions involving hearing and balance. It consists of
two parts, the cochlear portion and vestibular portion:
* Cochlear portion. Specialized cells within your ear detect vibrations from sound based
off of the sound’s loudness and pitch. This generates nerve impulses that are transmitted
to the cochlear nerve.
• Vestibular portion. Another set of special cells in this portion can track both linear and rotational
movements of your head. This information is transmitted to the vestibular nerve and used to adjust
your balance and equilibrium.
• The cochlear portion starts in an area of your brain called the inferior cerebellar peduncle. The
vestibular portion begins in your pons and medulla. Both portions combine to form the
vestibulocochlear nerve.
9. Glossopharyngeal nerve
 The glossopharyngeal nerve has both motor and sensory functions, including:
a. sending sensory information from your sinuses, the back of your throat, parts
of your inner ear, and the back part of your tongue
b. providing a sense of taste for the back part of your tongue
c. stimulating voluntary movement of a muscle in the back of your throat called
the stylopharyngeus.
10. Vagus nerve
 The vagus nerve is a very diverse nerve. It has both sensory and motor functions, including:
communicating sensation information from your ear canal and parts of your throat
sending sensory information from organs in your chest and trunk, such as your heart and
intestines allowing motor control of muscles in your throat
stimulating the muscles of organs in your chest and trunk, including those that move food
through your digestive tract (peristalsis)providing a sense of taste near the root of your
tongue
It has the longest pathway as it extends from the head until the abdomen. It originates form
the medulla
 Accessory nerve
 Your accessory nerve is a motor nerve that controls the muscles in your neck. These
muscles allow you to rotate, flex, and extend your neck and shoulders.

 It’s divided into two parts: spinal and cranial. The spinal portion originates in the upper part
of your spinal cord. The cranial part starts in your medulla oblongata.

 These parts meet briefly before the spinal part of the nerve moves to supply the muscles of
your neck while the cranial part follows the vagus nerve.
Hypoglossal nerve
 Your hypoglossal nerve is the 12th cranial nerve which is responsible for the
movement of most of the muscles in your tongue. It starts in the medulla
oblongata and moves down into the jaw, where it reaches the tongue.
Cerebral arteries ( Circle of Willis)
 The circle of Willis is a part of the cerebral circulation and is
composed of the following arteries:
 Anterior cerebral artery (left and right)
 Anterior communicating artery.
 Internal carotid artery (left and right)
 Posterior cerebral artery (left and right)
 Posterior communicating artery (left and right)
References:

 Pinel, J. P. (2004). Biological Psychology, Allyn Bacon, USA

 Santiago, M., Della, C. & Lajom, J.A. (2008). Activity Manual in Biological Psychology, C&E
Publishing, Manila, Philippines