WBCS MAINS HANDOUT 4

Nervous System & Sense Organ

What is nervous system?

The nervous system is a complex collection of nerves and specialized
cells known as neurons that transmit signals between different parts of
the body. It is essentially the body's electrical wiring. 
Types of nervous system
 Different type of nerves
 There are different types of nerves, according to the action they perform.
I. Sensory Nerves – These send messages to the brain from all the sensory organs.
II. Motor Nerves – They carry messages from the brain to the muscles in the body.
III. Mixed Nerves – They carry the sensory and motor nerves. They help in conducting the incoming sensory
information and also the outgoing information to the muscle cells.

 Based on which part the nerves connect to the Central Nervous System, they are classified as:

I. Cranial Nerves (12 pairs) – They start from the brain and carry messages from the brain to the rest of the body.
Certain nerves are sensory nerves while some are mixed nerves.
II. Spinal Nerves (31 pairs)– These nerves originate from the Spinal Cord. They carry messages to and from the
central nervous system. They consist of mixed nerves.
Types of Cranial nerves
Neurons
Synapse
• Junctional region between two neurons is called synapse.
• It is of 3 types- Axo-somatic, Axo-dendritic, Axo-axonic
• Swollen end of presynaptic axon terminal is called Synaptic Knob.
• Gap between two neurons is called Synaptic Cleft.
• Neurotransmitters are chemical agents which mediate transmission of impulse from an axon
terminal to another neuron or effector cell.
Synapse(The junction)
What is gray & white matter?
Human Brain

cerebellum
Parts of Brain
 Function of different parts of brain
 Cerebrum
The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. 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:
Frontal lobe: It is associated with parts of speech, planning, reasoning, problem-solving and
movements.
Parietal lobe: Help in movements, the perception of stimuli and orientation.
Occipital lobe: It is related to visual processing.
Temporal lobe: This region is related to perception and recognition of memory, auditory stimuli,
and speech.
Limbic lobe: sensation of olfaction and emotion
 Cerebrum Function
The cerebrum is responsible for thinking, intelligence,  consciousness and memory. It is also
responsible for interpreting touch, hearing and vision.
Function of different lobes of brain
 Thalamus and Hypothalamus
 The thalamus is a small structure, located right
above the brain stem responsible for relaying
sensory information (relay station) from the sense
organ.
 The hypothalamus is a small and essential part of
the brain, located precisely below the thalamus. It is
considered the primary region of the brain, as it is
involved in the following functions:
• Receives impulses
• Regulates body temperature (Thermostat)
• Controls the mood and emotions
• Controls the sense of taste and smell
• Synthesizes the body’s essential hormones
• Coordinates the messages from the autonomous
nervous system
 Mid and Hind Brain
 The midbrain connects the forebrain and the hindbrain. It is associated with
motor control, vision, hearing, temperature regulation, alertness.
 Hindbrain
1) It is the control centre for visceral function.
2) The hindbrain has three parts, namely – medulla oblongata, pons and
cerebellum.
3) The cerebellum (largest part of hindbrain) is responsible for maintaining
equilibrium.
4) Medulla oblongata acts as centre for involuntary actions like heart rate,
breathing, blood pressure, sleep and waking up, sweating etc.
Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
Eye
Eye
Ear
Tongue
Human tooth
• Humans usually have 20 primary (deciduous, "baby" or "milk") teeth and 32 permanent
(adult) teeth.
• Teeth are classified as incisors, canines, premolars and molars.
• Incisors are primarily used for cutting, canines are for tearing, and molars serve for grinding.
• Among deciduous (primary) teeth, ten are found in the maxilla (upper jaw) and ten in the
mandible (lower jaw), for a total of 20.
• The dental formula for primary teeth in humans is 2.1.0.2/2.1.0.2.
• Among permanent teeth, 16 are found in the maxilla and 16 in the mandible, for a total of 32.
• The dental formula is 2.1.2.3/2.1.2.3
• Enamel is the hardest and most highly mineralized substance of the body.
• In humans, teeth are embedded in the sockets of the jaw bone, and such type of attachment is
called thecodont