Overview of Nervous System

Learning Objectives
• At the end of this session, all trainees will be able
to understand the following:
• Describe the functional components of nervous
system.
• Describe the major levels of Central Nervous
System.
• Describe the integrative function of Nervous
System.
• Classification of nerve fibers.
• Synaptic transmission.
 Nervous System
• Functions
– Sensory input – monitoring stimuli occurring inside & outside the body
– Integration – interpretation of sensory input
– Motor output – response to stimuli by activating effector organs

Figure 11.1
 Nerve Tissue

• The two principal cell types of the

nervous system are:
–Neurons – excitable cells that transmit
electrical signals
–Neuroglia - supporting cells
 Neuron Classification

• Functional:
– Sensory (afferent) — transmit impulses toward
the CNS
– Motor (efferent) — carry impulses away from the
CNS
– Interneurons (association neurons) — shuttle
signals through CNS pathways
 Nerve Fiber Types in
Mammalian Nerve
Function Fiber Diameter Conduction
(micrometer) Velocity (m/s)

A
α Proprioception; somatic motor 12–20 70-120

β Touch, pressure 5-12 30-70

γ Motor to muscle spindles 3-6 15-30

δ Pain, cold, touch 2-5 12-30

B Preganglionic autonomic <3 3-15

C
Dorsal root Pain, temperature, some mechano- 0.4-1.2 0.5-2
reception
Sympathetic Postganglionic sympathetic 0.3-1.3 0.7-2.3
Neuroglia

Figure 12.6
 Support and Protection of the Brain

• The brain is protected and isolated by multiple

structures:

1. Bony cranium

2. Meninges

3. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

4. Blood-brain barrier
 Meningeal Layers
• Meningeal layer of the brain cushion and
protect delicate neural tissue

Figure 9-4b
 Blood Brain Barrier
• It has extensive capillaries & sinuses

• It has tight junctions promoted by

astrocyte

• It limits permeability for most molecules

except

• O2, CO2, alcohol, steroids, water

Figure 9-6: The blood-brain barrier

 Blood Brain Barrier

• Protects brain: hormones & circulating

chemicals
– Protects CNS from chemical fluctuations
– Prevents entry of harmful substances
– Prevents entry of molecules that could act
as neurotransmitters
 Organization of the Nervous System
• Central nervous system
(CNS)
– Brain and spinal cord
– Integration and command
center
• Peripheral nervous system
(PNS)
– Paired spinal and cranial
nerves
– Carries messages to and
from the spinal cord and
brain
Central Nervous
System:

• Brain
• Spinal cord
A common brain division
 Cerebral Cortex
• Three specializations
–Sensory areas - sensory input
translated into perception
–Motor areas - direct skeletal muscle
movement
–Association areas - integrate
information from sensory and motor
areas, can direct voluntary behaviors
 Primary Somatosensory Cortex
• Located in the postcentral gyrus, this area:
–Receives information from the skin and
skeletal muscles
–Exhibits spatial discrimination
• Somatosensory homunculus – caricature
of relative amounts of cortical tissue
devoted to each sensory function
 Primary Motor Cortex
• Located in the precentral gyrus
• Composed of pyramidal cells whose
axons make up the corticospinal tracts
• Allows conscious control of precise,
skilled, voluntary movements
• Motor homunculus – caricature of
relative amounts of cortical tissue
devoted to each motor function
 Spinal Cord Regions

• Cervical
• Thoracic
• Lumbar
• Sacral

Figure 9-4a: ANATOMY SUMMARY: The Central Nervous System

 Spinal Cord Organization
• Gray matter: mostly in cell bodies that have
– Dendrites & terminals
– These are spinal reflex integrating center
• White matter, mostly in
– Bundles of myelinated axons
• Ascending tracts – sensory
• Descending tracts – motor
– Dorsal roots
– Ventral roots
Spinal Cord Organization

Figure 9-7: Specialization in the spinal cord

Spinal Cord: Integrating Center

Figure 9-8
 Peripheral Nervous System: Afferent
Division
• Afferent (sensory) division – transmits
impulses from receptors to the CNS.
–Somatic afferent fibers – carry
impulses from skin, skeletal muscles,
and joints
–Visceral afferent fibers – transmit
impulses from visceral organs
 Peripheral Nervous System: Efferent
Division
• Motor (efferent) division – transmits impulses
from the CNS to effector organs. Two
subdivisions:
– Somatic nervous system – provides
conscious control of skeletal muscles
– Autonomic nervous system – regulates
smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands
 Sensory system
• General somatic senses – receptors are
widely spread
– Touch
– Pain
– Vibration
– Pressure
– Temperature
• Proprioceptive senses – detect stretch in
tendons and muscle
– Body sense – position and movement of
body in space
 Motor system
– General somatic motor – signals contraction of skeletal
muscles
• Under our voluntary control
• Often called “voluntary nervous system”
– Visceral motor
• Regulates the contraction of smooth and cardiac
muscle
• Makes up autonomic nervous system
• Controls function of visceral organs
• Often called “involuntary nervous system”
– Autonomic nervous system
 Cranial Nerves

• Total number of cranial nerves = 12

• Sensory cranial nerves =3

• Motor cranial nerves =5

• Mixed cranial nerves =4

Cranial Nerves

Table 9-1: The Cranial Nerves

Neural Reflexes: Overview
Stimulus

Sensory receptor

Sensory (afferent) neuron

CNS integration
Efferent (motor) neuron

Effector (target tissue)

Response (movement)

Feedback to CNS
 Synapses
• Site where a nerve
communicates with
a nerve or a muscle
• Transmission
through synapses is
called synaptic
transmission
 Properties of synaptic transmission

• Excitation

• Inhibition

• Spatial summation

• Temporal summation

• Facilitation

• Fatigue

• Synaptic delay
 References
• Guyton Medical physiology.11th edition.
• Human physiology .Lauralee Sherwood
7th edition.
• Ganong. Review of Medical Physiology.23rd
Edition
• Text book of physiology by Jaypee
• Google images