Grade VIII

BIOLOGY
SYNOPSIS
Theme 4: Unit 2
Name of the chapter: Human Body-Nervous System
Date: 15-11-2021 No. of pages: 6

1. Nervous tissue
 It forms the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
 It is responsible for coordinating and controlling many bodily activities. For example, the
conscious control of skeletal muscles and the unconscious regulation of cardiac muscle are
accomplished by nervous tissue.

DETAILED INFORMATION ON HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM

 Nervous tissue consists of neurons and support cells.

2. Neurons
Structure: Quite long, with intricate branches. A typical neuron consists of an enlarged
portion called the cell body (which contains the nucleus), a thick branch called the axon,
and several thinner branches called dendrites.
Function -The main function of the neurons is to pass the receiving information and send
appropriate signals to the rest parts of the body. The signals received are in the form of electrical
signals.
Major Parts of Neuron (nerve cell)
 Cell body- Consists of nucleus, mitochondria and other organelles.
 Axon - Long slender projection that conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body
and pass it to the next receiving neuron.
 Dendrites - Tree-like structures that receive messages from other neurons in the form of
chemical neurotransmitters.

NPS.ITPL-2021/22/LN BIO
 STRUCTURE OF NEURON
3. Sensory Neuron
 A neuron that brings information toward the central nervous system (the brain and
spinal cord) from the sense organs is called a sensory (or afferent) neuron.
 Sensory neuron account for 0.9% of all neurons.
4. Motor Neuron –
 A motor (or efferent) neuron conducts its message outward, from the central nervous
system (CNS) (brain and spinal cord) toward muscle or gland cells.
 Motor neurons account for 9% of all neurons.
5. CNS or Central Nervous System
 This is composed of two major interconnected organs: – 1. Brain 2. Spinal cord.
1. Brain

 The human brain consists of two types of tissues, grey and white matter.
 Grey matter makes up the bulk of the brain with various types of cells, white matter is
made of axons that are responsible for connecting the various grey matter areas of the
brain with each other.
 The human brain is contained inside the skull. The skull comprises 22 bones, of which
8 are cranial bones and the remaining 14 are facial bones.
 The brain is located inside the cranium and surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid, which
fills up any hollow space on the brain surface and also circulates within the skull and
the spinal cord
 Function of cerebrospinal fluid- Acts as a cushion for the brain, lessening the impact of
mechanical shocks
Parts of the Human Brain
The human brain consists of various parts that include:
 The Forebrain(Cerebrum)
 The Midbrain
 The Hindbrain(Cerebellum)

NPS.ITPL-2021/22/LN BIO
1. Forebrain- This refers to a human brain’s anterior part and controls various functions of
the human body like temperature, reproduction, hunger, sleep, and emotions. The forebrain
includes other parts like:
Cerebrum
This is the largest part of the brain and has two cerebral hemispheres. Dense, heavy bands of
fibre, commonly known as the corpus callosum join the two cerebral hemispheres together.
Functions of the cerebrum include memory retention, consciousness, intelligence, thinking,
hearing, vision and interpreting touch.
Other areas that are a part of the cerebrum:
 Sensory areas- Help in receiving messages
 Motor areas- Help the voluntary muscles act
 Association areas- Help in connecting the sensory areas with the motor areas.
2. Midbrain- The midbrain is the central part of the brainstem.
3. Hindbrain- This is the central area of the human brain. It is composed of three regions that
coordinate any process that is essential for survival, which includes motor learning and
breathing. The hindbrain is made up of the following:
Cerebellum
It is the second-largest part of the brain located in the posterior area of the pons and the
medulla.
Functions
 Transfer of information
 Coordination of eye movement
 Sense of equilibrium
 Controlling of the voluntary movements of the body
 Coordination of skeletal movements
Medulla
 The medulla oblongata is in the lowest area of the brain.
Functions:
 It is a small structure that controls the body’s autonomic functions like digestion, heartbeat.
 Helps control the human body reflexes.
Pons
 Present between the medulla oblongata and the midbrain, the pons is the most important
structure of the brain stem.
 It relays signals between various parts of the brain including the spinal cord, lower
cerebellum, midbrain, and the cerebrum.
Functions
 Regulating respiration frequency
 Controlling the sleep cycle
 Helps in regulating sensations like taste and hearing

SPINAL CORD

NPS.ITPL-2021/22/LN BIO
 The main nerve tissue column that is connected to the brain and lies within the vertebral
canal from which the spinal nerves emerge.
 The spinal cord is composed of gray and white matter. This shows four surfaces: anterior,
back, and two laterals.
 The gray matter is the main component of the spinal cord which is shaped like a butterfly
and consists of neuronal cell bodies. It shows horns that are anterior, lateral, and posterior.
 White matter encircles the gray matter and consists of axons. It includes pathways which
connect the brain to the rest of the body.
 A spinal cord injury often causes permanent loss of strength, sensation and function below
the site of the injury.

Reflex Arc
The reflex arc is the neural pathway controlling the reflexes and acts on an impulse even
before it reaches the brain. The two types of reflex arcs are:
1. Autonomic Reflex Arc: It affects the functioning of inner organs.
2. Somatic Reflex Arc: It affects the functioning of muscles.

Reflex Actions
Meaning and Importance of Reflex Action
 Reflex action is an involuntary response of effectors to the stimulus.
 It helps us in protecting us from any sudden stimulus which may harm us and thus takes
care of the survival of an organism.
The importance of reflex action is due to the fact that reflex arcs are composed of different
components that are significant to create a reflex. The function of each component is
explained below -
1. Receptor - It receives the information and assists in generating impulses.
2. Sensory Nerve - It carries information from the receptor to the interneurons in the spinal
cord.
3. Interneuron/Relay Neuron - It processes the information and generates effective
responses.
4. Motor Nerve - It carries the information from the spinal cord to the effector organ.
5. Effector Organ - It receives information from effector neurons and results in the
appropriate response (reflex).

NPS.ITPL-2021/22/LN BIO
 REFLEX ARC PATHWAY

Examples of Reflex Actions

1. Closing of eyes when a bright light hits our eyes
2. Sudden withdrawing hands or legs when they touch something hot or pricking
3. Coughing or sneezing due to irritants in the nasal passage
4. Batting of eyelids frequently
5. Blinking eyes when insects come in contact
6. The reflex of abdominal muscles to contract upon any force to the abdomen (Muscular
defense)
7. Knee-jerk reflex

I . Multiple Choice Questions

1.Gray matter is composed of:
a. Nerve cell bodies b. Nerve axons c. Pons d. Cerebellum
2.The role of the axon is to –
a. Integrate signals from the dendrites
b. Release neurotransmitter
c. conduct the action potential to the synaptic terminal
d. synthesize cellular components

3. Which of the following is an example of reflex action –

a. To shoot the bird after aiming
b. Watering of the mouth of seeing the good edibles
c. To obey the order
d. To read story

4. How many pairs of spinal nerves are there in human beings?

a. 8 b. 12 c.25 d.31
5. The below question consists of two statements –Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Answer this
question selecting the appropriate option given below.
a. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

NPS.ITPL-2021/22/LN BIO
b. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
c. A is true but R is false
d. A is false but R is true
Assertion (A)-Reflex actions are automatic and rapid responses to stimuli
Reason(R) – These actions are controlled by brain
II. Answer the following questions:
6. State the two types of coordination which take place in our body.
7. With the help of a Venn diagram , compare and contrast between nervous system and endocrine
system .
8. List two body functions that will be affected, if cerebellum gets damaged.
9. Write the functions of:
a. Gustatory receptors b. Olfactory receptors
10. Differentiate between receptor and effector (2 points each)
11. Read the following and answer the following questions.
The nervous system is the part of the body that coordinates its voluntary and involuntary
action and transmits signals between different parts of its body.

a. Label the parts – A,B,C,D and E

b. What kind of action is shown in the diagram
c. What kind of action is walking, running and eating?
d. How does it differ from the action shown in the diagram?
12. Complete the following flow chart.

FUNCTIONS
CEREBRUM
A.________________
HUMAN BRAIN
Location -Central
B.____________ part of the
brainstem

C._____________ Location-
_ Present between
the medulla
oblongata and
the midbrain

Video Links : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9-EUih-PUQ- Nervous System

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLa4eFzf0sQ – Reflex Arc and Reflex Action

NPS.ITPL-2021/22/LN BIO