Anatomy & Physiology of

The Nervous System

Organs of the Nervous System

► Brain
► Nerves
► Spinal Cord
The Brain

►It is the center for all thought,

memory, judgment, and emotion.
►Each part of the brain is responsible
for controlling different body functions,
such as temperature regulation and
breathing.
►There are 4 sections to the brain:
cerebrum, cerebellum, diencephalon and
brain stem.
Cerebrum
►It is the largest section of the brain
►It is located in the upper portion of
the brain and is the area that
processes thoughts, judgment,
memory, problem solving, and
language.
►The outer layer of the cerebrum is
the cerebral cortex, which is
composed of folds of gray matter.
►The cerebrum is subdivided into the
left and right halves called cerebral
hemispheres. Each hemisphere has
4 lobes.
Lobes of the Cerebrum
► 1. Frontal lobe: Most anterior portion of
the cerebrum, controls motor function,
personality, and speech
► 2. Parietal lobe: The most superior
portion of the cerebrum, receives and
interprets nerve impulses from sensory
receptors and interprets language.
► 3. Occipital lobe: The most posterior
portion of the cerebrum, controls vision.
► 4. Temporal lobe: The left and right
lateral portion of the cerebrum, controls
hearing and smell
The Cerebellum
►Second largest portion of the brain
►Located beneath the posterior part
of the cerebrum
►Aids in coordinating voluntary body
movements and maintaining balance
and equilibrium
►Refines the muscular movement
that is initiated in the cerebrum
Diencephalon
∙ Sits on top of the brain stem
∙ Enclosed by the cerebral hemispheres
∙ Three parts:
∙ Thalamus
∙ Hypothalamus
∙ Epithalamus
Brain Stem

►Midbrain—acts as a pathway for

impulses to be conducted between
the brain and the spinal cord.
►Pons means bridge—connects the
cerebellum to the rest of the brain.
►Medulla oblongata—most inferior
positioned portion of the brain; it
connects the brain to the spinal
cord.
Spinal Cord

►Protected by cerebrospinal fluid.

►Inner core of the spinal cord contains gray
matter.
►The outer portion of the spinal cord is
myelinated white matter.
Spinal Cord Anatomy
∙ Extends from the
medulla oblongata to
the region of T12
∙ Below T12 is the cauda
equina (a collection of
spinal nerves)
∙ Carries sensory and
motor information

Figure 7.18
Peripheral Nervous System

► Includes both the 12 pairs of cranial nerves and the 31

pairs of spinal nerves.
► A nerve is a group or bundle of axon fibers located
outside the central nervous system that carries
messages between the CNS and the various parts of
the body.
► Whether a nerve is cranial or spinal is determined by
where the nerve originates.
► Cranial nerves arise from the brain, mainly at the
medulla oblongata.
Cranial Nerves
∙ 12 pairs of nerves
that mostly serve the
head and neck
∙ Numbered in order,
front to back
∙ Most are mixed
nerves, but three
are sensory only
Cranial Nerves
∙ I Olfactory nerve – sensory for smell
∙ II Optic nerve – sensory for vision
∙ III Oculomotor nerve – motor fibers to eye
muscles
∙ IV Trochlear – motor fiber to eye muscles
∙ V Trigeminal nerve – sensory for the face;
motor fibers to chewing muscles
∙ VI Abducens nerve – motor fibers to
eye muscles
Cranial Nerves
∙ VII Facial nerve – sensory for taste; motor
fibers to the face
∙ VIII Vestibulocochlear nerve –
sensory for balance and hearing
∙ IX Glossopharyngeal nerve – sensory for taste;
motor fibers to the pharynx
∙ X Vagus nerves – sensory and motor fibers for
pharynx, larynx, and viscera
∙ XI Accessory nerve – motor fibers to neck and
upper back
∙ XII Hypoglossal nerve – motor fibers to tongue
The Brachial Plexus (Arm)

Spinal Nerves to know:

∙ Ulnar Nerve – Motor &
Sensory,
∙ Radial Nerve – Motor &
Sensory
∙ Median Nerve – Motor &
Sensory
The Lumbrosacral Plexus (Leg)

Spinal Nerves:
∙ Sciatic
∙ Femoral
∙ Obturator
∙ Tibial
∙ Common Fibular
 • Autonomic Nervous
System (ANS).
• ANS consists of
Organs and Divisions structures that
regulate the body’s
involuntary or
automatic functions
ex. heart rate,
smooth muscle
contractions,
secretion of
hormones, enzymes,
etc.
Types of cells in Nervous System
• The two types of cells found in the Nervous System (NS)
are neurons and glia cells.
• Neurons conduct nerve impulses.
• Glia cells support neurons.

• Neuron consists of three main parts:

• Cell body
• Dendrites
• Axon
Types of cells in Nervous
system
Parts of Neurons

• The main part of the neuron is the cell

body.

• Branching projections are called dendrites.

Dendrites transmit information to the
neuronal cell body.

• Axons are the long processes that transmit

information away from the cell body.
Types of neurons based on
direction
• There are three types of neurons named based on the
• direction in which they transmit information.

• Sensory (afferent)

• Motor (efferent)

• Interneuron
Types of neurons based on
direction
• Sensory neurons (afferent) transmit information to the
• CNS from all regions of the body.
• Motor neurons (efferent) transmit information in the
• opposite direction- away from the CNS.
• They conduct impulses to muscle and glandular
epithelial tissue.
• Interneurons conduct impulses from sensory neurons to
motor neurons.
• They connect to form central networks of nerve fibers
and are called central or connecting neurons.
Structure of axon
• The axon is covered by myelin.
• This is a white, fatty substance formed by
specialized cells called schwann cells that wrap
around axons outside the CNS. The outer
membrane of this type of cell is called the
neurilemma-plays regenerative part in damaged
axons.
• Myelin allows for saltatory conduction of
electrical transmissions.
• Nodes of Ranvier are interrupted segments
between schwann cells.
Structure of Glia cells

Glia (glue) cells – one function is to hold functioning

neurons together and protect them.
They also coordinate the functions of the NS.
Glia vary in size and shape.
Astrocytes: resemble stars. Their threadlike branches
attach to neurons and to small blood vessels holding
both structures together
 •Astrocyte branches
form a two-layer
structure called the
blood brain barrier
Types of glial cells (BBB).
•BBB separates blood
tissue and nervous
tissue. Protects brain
from harmful chemicals
that might be found in
the blood.
•Microglia: smaller than
astrocytes. They remain
stationary until brain
tissue becomes injured.
 ► Oligodendrocytes hold
nerve fibers together
and they also produce
myelin sheaths around
Types of glial cells multiple nerve cell
axons in the CNS.
► Schwann cells are glia
cells that produce
myelin sheaths on
single axons within the
PNS.
 Nerve
► A nerve can be defined as a group of
peripheral nerve fibers (axons)
bundled together.

► The fibers have a myelin sheath

provided by schwann cells.
Because myelin is white, peripheral
nerve fibers often look white.
 Tracts
► Bundles of axons in the CNS are called tracts.
► They are also myelinated and form the white matter of
the brain and spinal cord.
Brain and spinal cord tissue composed of unmyelinated
axons dendrites and cell bodies is called gray matter
due to its appearance
 ► Each axon in a nerve
is surrounded by a
thin wrapping of
fibrous connective
tissue called
Nerves and Tracts endoneurium.
► Groups of these
wrapped axons are
called fascicles.
► Each fascicle is
surrounded by a thin,
fibrous perineurium.
► A tough, fibrous
sheath called the
epineurium covers the
entire nerve.
Reflex Arc
► Nerve impulses are also called action potentials.
► The routes traveled by nerve impulses are called
neuron pathways.
► A basic type of neuron pathway is called a reflex arc.
 Receptors
► Reflex arcs allow impulse conduction in only one
direction.
► Impulse conduction starts mainly at receptors.
► Receptors are the beginnings of dendrites of sensory
neurons. They are located some distance away from the
spinal cord. (tendons,skin mucous membranes etc.)
Reflex Arc
► A simple kind of reflex arc consists of two types of
► neurons: sensory neurons and motor neurons.

► Three neuron arcs consists of: sensory neurons,

interneurons and motor neurons.
 Knee Jerk
► The knee-jerk reflex is the simplest example of a two
neuron reflex arc.
► As a result of a tap on the patellar ligament causes the
quadriceps muscle to contract via a neuronal pathway.
► A nerve impulse is generated by stretch receptors
within the quadriceps.
► It travels along the sensory neuron’s dendrites to the
cell body located in the dorsal root ganglion (group of
nerve cell bodies located in the PNS)
 Knee Jerk
► The axon from the sensory neuron
dorsal root ganglion ends near the
dendrites of another neuron located
in the gray matter of the spinal cord.

► Chemical signals are sent across the

synapse and connect with other
dendrites which travel from the cell
bodies located in the CNS
gray matter and axons outside the
gray matter.
 Knee Jerk

► The motor neuron synapses with effector muscle group

quadriceps femoris which contracts and hamstrings
which relax to allow Quards contraction.
Nerve Impulses and the
Synapse
► The binding of the
neurotransmitter with
the receptors initiates
an impulse in the
postsynaptic neuron
opening Na+ channels in
the cell. Therefore, the
nerve signal is
transmitted to the
postsynaptic neuron.
 Neurotransmitters
The neurotransmitter can be :
►Taken back up by the synaptic knobs
►Metabolized into inactive chemicals
►At least 30 different substances have been identified as
neurotransmitters.
►Specific neurotransmitters are localized in discrete
groups
of neurons.
Neurotransmitters
►Acetylcholine is released at
some synapses in the spinal
cords and at neuromuscular
junctions.
►Norepinephrine, Dopamine
and Serotonin are grouped into
compounds called
catecholamines – involved in
sleep motor function, mood
and pleasure recognition.
Neurotransmitters
► Endorphins and Enkephalins
are released at spinal cord
and various brain synapses in
the pain conduction pathway.

►Nitrous Oxide –
neurotransmitter that diffuses
directly across the plasma
membrane instead of being
transported by vesicles.