In this module, you will learn about

• What is the Nervous System?

• Human Nervous System Diagram
• Central Nervous System
• Peripheral Nervous System
• Neuron
• Nerves

What is the Nervous System?

• In the human body, the neural system integrates the activities of organs
based on the stimuli, which the neurons detect and transmit.
• They transmit messages in the form of electrical impulses and convey
messages to and from the sense organs.
• Thus, nervous coordination involves the participation of the sense
organs, nerves, spinal cord, and brain.

Human Nervous System

One of the most complex organ systems to ever evolve, the human nervous
system consists of two parts, namely:

Central Nervous System

Peripheral Nervous System

Central Nervous System

It is often called the central processing unit of the body. It consists of the brain
and the spinal cord.
Brain

• The brain is one of the

important, largest, and
central organs of
the human nervous system.
• It is the control unit of the
nervous system, which helps
us in discovering new things,
remembering and
understanding, making
decisions, and a lot more.
• It is enclosed within the skull,
which provides frontal, lateral,
and dorsal protection.

Parts of Human Brain

Following are the major parts of the human brain:

Forebrain – Largest part of the brain

The forebrain parts include:

Cerebrum

Hypothalamus

Thalamus

Forebrain Function: Controls the reproductive functions, body temperature,

emotions, hunger and sleep.

Fact: The largest among the forebrain parts is the cerebrum. It is also the
largest part of all vertebrate brains.
Cerebrum
• The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. It consists of the cerebral
cortex and other subcortical structures.

• It is composed of two cerebral hemispheres that are joined together by

heavy, dense bands of fibre called the corpus callosum.

The cerebrum is further divided into four sections or lobes:

1. Frontal lobe: It is associated with parts of speech, planning, reasoning,

problem-solving and movements.

2. Parietal lobe: Help in movements, the perception of stimuli and

orientation.

3. Occipital lobe: It is related to visual processing.

4. Temporal lobe: This region is related to perception and recognition of

memory, auditory stimuli and speech.

The cerebrum also includes:

1. Sensory areas: To receive the messages.

2. Association areas: These areas integrate the incoming sensory

information. It also forms a connection between sensory and motor
areas.

3. Motor areas: This area is responsible for the action of the voluntary
muscles.

Cerebrum Function
• The cerebrum is responsible for thinking, intelligence, consciousness
and memory.

• It is also responsible for interpreting touch, hearing and vision.

Thalamus
• The thalamus is a small structure, located right above the brain stem
responsible for relaying sensory information from the sense orrgans
 • It is also responsible for transmitting motor information for movement
and coordination.

• Thalamus is found in the limbic system within the cerebrum.

• This limbic system is mainly responsible for the formation of new

memories and storing past experiences.

Hypothalamus

1. Receives impulses
2. Regulates body temperature
3. Controls the mood and emotions
4. Controls the sense of taste and smell
5. Synthesises the body’s essential hormones
6. Coordinates the messages from the autonomous nervous system
7. Controls appetite, peristalsis, the rate of heartbeat, and blood pressure
8. Forms an axis with the pituitary gland which is the main link between
the nervous and the endocrine systems

Midbrain: Smallest and central part of the brain

Tectum

•The tectum is a small portion of the brain, specifically the dorsal part of the midbrain.
• It serves as a relay centre for the sensory information from the ears to the cerebrum.
•It also controls the reflex movements of the head, eye and neck muscles. It provides a
passage for the different neurons moving in and out of the cerebrum.

Tegmentum
•Tegmentum is a region within the brainstem.
•It is a complex structure with various components, which is mainly involved in body
movements, sleep, arousal, attention, and different necessary reflexes.
• It forms the platform for the midbrain and connects with the thalamus, cerebral cortex
and the spinal cord.

Hindbrain: The lower part of the brain

• Hindbrain functions: The three regions of the hindbrain coordinates all
processes necessary for survival.

• These induce breathing, heartbeat, sleep, wakefulness and motor

learning.

The hindbrain is composed of:

Cerebellum

Medulla

Pons
Cerebellum
• The cerebellum is the second largest part of the brain, located in the
posterior portion of the medulla and pons.

• The cerebellum and cerebrum are separated by cerebellar tentorium

and transverse fissure.

• Cortex is the outer surface of the cerebellum, and its parallel ridges are
called the folia.

• Apart from this, the cerebellum has the cerebellar peduncles, cerebellar
nuclei, anterior and posterior lobes.

• The cerebellum consists of two hemispheres, the outer grey cortex and
the inner white medulla.

• It is mainly responsible for coordinating and maintaining the body

balance during walking, running, riding, swimming, and precision
control of the voluntary movements.

Medulla Oblongata
• The medulla oblongata is a small structure present in the lowest region
of the brain.

• It mainly controls the body’s autonomic functions such as heartbeat,

breathing, and digestion.

• It plays a primary role in connecting the spinal cord, pons and the
cerebral cortex. Also, it helps us in maintaining our posture and
controlling our reflexes.

Pons
The main functions of the pons include:

1. Controlling sleep cycles.

2. Regulating the magnitude and frequency of the respiration.
 3. Transfers information between the cerebellum and motor cortex.
4. Pons is also involved in sensations, such as the sense of taste, hearing
and balance.

Spinal Cord
• The spinal cord is a cylindrical
bundle of nerve fibers and
associated tissues enclosed within
the spine and connect all parts of
the body to the brain.
• It begins in continuation with the
medulla and extends downwards.
• It is enclosed in a bony cage called
vertebral column and surrounded by
membranes called meninges.
• The spinal cord is concerned with
spinal reflex actions and the
conduction of nerve impulses to and
from the brain.

Peripheral Nervous System

• Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) is the lateral part of the nervous
system that develops from the central nervous system which connects
different parts of the body with the CNS.
• We carry out both voluntary and involuntary actions with the help of
peripheral nerves.

PNS includes two types of nerve fibers:

1. Afferent nerve fibers – These are responsible for transmitting

messages from tissues and organs to the CNS.
 2. Efferent nerve-fibers – These are responsible for conveying messages
from CNS to the corresponding peripheral organ.
Classification of the peripheral nervous system:

Somatic neural system

• It is the neural system that controls the voluntary actions in the body by
transmitting impulses from CNS to skeletal muscle cells.
• It consists of the somatic nerves.

Autonomic neural system

• The autonomic neural system is involved in involuntary actions like the

regulation of physiological functions.
• It is a self-regulating system that conveys the impulses from the CNS to
the smooth muscles and involuntary organs.

Neuron
A Neuron is a structured and
functional unit of the nervous
system and unlike other cells,
neurons are irregular in shape
and able to conduct
electrochemical signals. The
different parts of a neuron are
discussed below.

• Dendrite stretches out

from the cell body of a
neuron, and it is the
shortest fibre in the cell
body.
• Axon is the longest thread
on the cell body of a neuron and has an insulating and protective
sheath of myelin around it.
• Cell body consists of cytoplasm and nucleus.
 • Synapse is the microscopic gap between a pair of adjacent neurons over which
nerve impulses pass, when moving from one neuron to the other.

Nerves
Nerves are thread-like structures that emerge from the brain and spinal cord.
It is responsible for carrying messages to all the parts of the body. There are
three types of nerves. Some of these neurons can fire signals at speeds of
over 119 m/s or above 428 km/h.

1. Sensory nerves send messages from all the senses to the brain.
2. Motor nerves carry messages from the brain to all the muscles.
3. Mixed nerves carry both sensory and motor nerves.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

[Link] one of the following is not a part of nerves?

A. Axons
B. Connective tissues
C. Schwann cells
D. Smooth muscles

Answer: D

Solution: A nerve is an attached, bundle-like cable of axons in the peripheral

nervous system. Neurons are also called nerve cells, but many neurons do not
form nerve cells. Veins also include Schwann cells that coat axons in myelin.
Finally, the entire nerve is covered in a layer of connective tissue called the
epineurium. Hence, the correct answer is D