The Nervous

System
Major Divisions and Parts of the Nervous System
1. Central Nervous System (CNS)
CNS serves as the main processing center for the
entire nervous system. It consists of two main
components, namely:
 Brain
 Spinal Cord
 A. Brain
This is an organ located in the skull that functions as
organizer and distributor of information for the body.It
has three main parts:
 Cerebrum- large, upper part of the brain that
controls activity and thought
 Cerebellum - the part under the cerebrum that
controls posture, balance and coordination
 Brain Stem- the part that connects the brain to the
spinal cord and controls automatic functions such as
breathing, digestion, heart rate, and blood pressure
 B. Spinal Cord
This serves as a channel for signals between
the brain and the rest of the body and
controls simple musculoskeletal refelexes
without input from the brain.
1. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The PNS connects the central nervous system to
the organs and limbs. It has two main divisions:
a. Somatic Nervous System
This system is associated with the voluntary control
of body movements and has two main parts:
Spinal Nerves- the nerves that carry motor and
sensory signals between the spinal cord and the
body
 Cranial Nerves- the nerve that fibers that carry
information into and out of the brain stem
b. Autonomic Nervous System
This system is associated with the involuntary contro of the
body movements and has two subdivisions:
Sympathetic- it is activated when the body is in a
dynamic role or stress (e.g., increased in heart rate and
breathing, dilation of pupil, sweating etc.)
Parasympathetic- it maintains body functions and
restores the body to normal or relaxed mode
 THE NERVE CELL
•Nerve is the basic unit of the nervous
system
•Nerve cells are called neurons.
•There are twelve to fourteen billions of
neurons in one part of the brain alone.
Parts of Neuron
1. Cell body- contains
the nucleus
2. Dendrites carry
impulses towards the
cell body
3. Axons carry impulses
away from the cell body.
• Neurons have the special ability to carry signals
or impulses.
• A nerve impulse is an electrochemical signal
moving along a neuron.
• The space between neurons is called synapse.
• A stimulus is any factor in the environment that
influences behavior.
• A response is a reaction to a condition or
stimulus.
•An organism must be able to response to
stimulus in order to
survive.
•Reaction time is the length of time
between application of a stimulus and
detection of a response.