DR. Hanan A. Mubarak, BM.Bch, MSc., M.

D
Professor of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine,
Cairo University
 Introduction
• Physiology
Is the study of the function of living things:
human, plant, bacterial, viral……etc.

• Human physiology
Is the study of the functions of organs and
systems and the way those functions are
integrated.
 Introduction
• The human body is made of 75-100 trillion cells, which
are arranged in a variety of combinations and form
various degrees of organized structures.

• Collection of similar cells with similar properties form

tissues (e.g. muscular tissue, epithelial tissue).

• Different tissues combine to form organs (e.g. heart,

brain, liver).

• Organs with complementary functions constitute the

different systems (e.g. cardiovascular system, nervous,
GIT…)
Different Shapes and Sizes of Cells
• The functions of the body are coordinated by two control
systems:

I. Endocrine system
• It secretes hormones
• Hormones affects the distal organs
• It acts slowly & has prolonged action.

II. Nervous System:

• It is responsible for rapid regulation of various systems.
• It is composed of:
 Nervous system
• The nervous system is divided into central and
peripheral parts:

• The central nervous system contains the brain and the

spinal cord.

• The peripheral nervous system contains the autonomic

and somatic peripheral nerves. The autonomic
nervous system is not under conscious control and is
often called the involuntary nervous system.

• The involuntary (autonomic) nervous system:

Contains the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous
systems.
 • Nervous system

Central N.S. Peripheral N.S.

Sensory Mo tor

Spinal Cord Brain Autonomic Somatic

Peripheral Peripheral
Nerves Nerves
2 cerebral brain cerebellum
hemisph. stem
Sympathetic Parasympathetic

Midbrain Pons Medulla

 Peripheral Nerves
• Connect the C.N.S. with all organs of the body These
contains:

1) Sensory nerve fibers or afferent fibers which carry

afferent impulses from the periphery (skin or organs) to
C.N.S.

2) Motor or efferent fibers which carry efferent impulses

from C.N.S. to the organs, muscles & glands:

Somatic nervous system: acts voluntary as it supplies

skeletal muscles which are under the control of will.

Autonomic nervous system: acts involuntary as

it supplies smooth muscles (present in viscera), cardiac
muscles (present in heart) and secretory glands
(salivary & sweat glands)
 Peripheral Nerves
Anatomically, Peripheral nerves are divided into:
• Cranial nerves: arising from the brain & brain stem (12
pairs)
• Spinal nerves: 31 pairs arising from the spinal cord
(8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, 1coccygeal)

• Most of the peripheral nerves contain both afferent

(sensory) and efferent (motor) fibers.

• Each spinal nerve is attached to the corresponding

spinal segment by 2 roots:
- Posterior (dorsal) root which is sensory in function
i.e. carry impulses from receptors to CNS
- Anterior (ventral) root which carries efferent or motor
impulses from CNS to the organs.
Spinal nerve
 Spinal cord
• The grey matter: is divided into three horns on each side:
-- The dorsal horn concerned with sensation.
-- The ventral horn concerned with movement.
-- The lateral horn: is only present in the thoracic and upper

lumbar regions, concerned with the

autonomic part (symp.).

• The white matter: is divided into three columns posterior ,

lateral and anterior. These columns contain the nerve
fibers collected in tracts that may be:
-- Ascending tracts carrying sensations to higher levels.
-- Descending tracts carrying orders from higher centers.
Cross section of spinal cord
Spinal nerve
Peripheral (spinal) somatic nerves
 Somatic N.S. Autonomic N.S.
• Function Voluntary Involuntary

• Efferent

- Supply Skeletal muscle Internal viscera,

glands and vessels

- Nerve fibers Go directly to Relay in ganglion: with

SK. muscle preganglionic and

postganglionic fibers

- Number of No change Multiply in the ganglia

nerve fibers

• Chemical One type: A. Ch Two types: A. Ch. Or

transmitters Nor adrenaline
Peripheral nerves