ANATOMY OF NERVOUS

SYSTEM

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• The body has two control centers
- nervous system
- endocrine system

• The nervous system has three basic

functions
- senses changes ( sensory)
- analyses
- response ( motor)
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• The nervous system has two principal divisions
- central nervous system
- peripheral nervous system

• The central nervous system consists of brain

and spinal cord.

• The peripheral nervous system consists of

cranial and spinal nerves.

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• PNS has - sensory afferent
- motor efferent components

• PNS is also divided as

A) somatic ( voluntary)
B) autonomic ( involuntary)

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 A) Somatic nervous system

• Consists of neurons that conduct

impulses from cutaneous and special
senses receptor to CNS
• And motor neuron from CNS to skeletal
muscle tissue

• It is voluntary.

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 B) Autonomic nervous system
• Contain sensory neurons from visceral organ
• Motor neurons that convey impulses from
CNS to smooth muscles tissue ,cardiac muscle
tissue and glands.

• It is involuntary

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 Neuroglia
the connective tissue of the nervous system,
consisting of several different types of cell
associated with neurons.
• Specialized tissue cells that

- support neurons

- attach neurons to blood vessels

- produce myelin sheath along axons

- phagocytosis
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• There are six types of neuroglia
• 1 ) astrocyetes; a star-shaped glial cell of the central
nervous system
• 2) oligodendrocytes:a glial cell resembling an astrocyte but
with fewer protuberances, concerned with the production of
myelin.

• 3 ) microglia: glial cells that function as macrophages

(scavengers) in the central nervous system.
• 4 ) ependymal cells :one of the cells which form the
ependyma
5) neurolemmanocytes ( Schwann cells) the cells which form
the myelin sheath around a nerve fibre
6) satellite
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 Neurons
• Consists of a cell body ,dendrite , axon

• Myelin is formed by neurlemanocyte in PNS

And oligodendrocyte in CNS.

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 The central nervous system
• Consists of brain and spinal cord
• 1) THE BRAIN
- made up of about 100 billion neuron and 1000
billion neuralgia.
- it is one of the largest organ in the body
- weights about 1.3 kg , about 2% of the
body weight.
- divided in to four principal parts
- brain stem
- diencephalon
- cerebrum
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 1) Brain stem
• Continuous with the spinal cord

• Consists of - medulla oblongata

- Pons
- mid brain

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 2)Diencephalon
• Above the brain stem
• Consists of mostly thalamus and
hypothalamus

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 3)The cerebrum
• Spreads over diencephalon
• Has two sides called cerebral
hemisphere
• Occupies most of the cranium.

4) Cerebellum
- Found below the cerebrum and
behind the brain stem
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 Protection and coverings
• The brain is protected by cranium and meninges
• The meninges are three connective tissue
covering that run continuously around the spinal
cord and brain
• These are 1) Dura mater

2) Arachnoid mater
3) Pia mater
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 Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
• The brain and spinal cord are further
protected against injury by CSF.

• The CSF circulates through subarachnoid and

spinal cord through the ventricles.

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 ventricles
• Are cavities in the brain
• Connected to each other with central canal of
the spinal cord and with subarachnoid space
• There are four ventricles

- lateral ventricles – 2
- third ventricle
- fourth ventricle
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• The entire CNS contains about 80 – 150 ml of
cerebrospinal fluid.
• The CSF is – clear , colorless liquid
- contains – proteins
- glucose
- urea and salts
• The CSF has two principal functions
- protection
- circulation
• It is formed by filtration and secretion from
choroid plexuses
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 Blood supply to the brain
• Brain is supplied with O2 and nutrients from
special circulatory routes at the base of the
brain.
- the circle of Willis-
• Brain require 20% of the body’s oxygen supply

• The brain is one of the most metabolically active

organ of the body.
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• Any interruption of oxygen supply to the brain
weakens permanently damage or kills brain
cells.

• Glucose deficiency may produce dizziness ,

convulsion and unconscious.

• The different rates of the passage of certain

materials from blood into most part of the
brain are due to blood brain barrier

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 1) Brain stem
A. Medulla oblungata
– Continuous with the upper part of the spinal
cord
– Function – regulate heart rate
- Diameter of vessels
- Respiratory rate
- Swallowing
- Coughing ,vomiting ,sneezing
- Hiccupping
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B. Pons -superior to the medulla
• connects the spinal cord with the brain

• Links parts of the brain with one another

• It relays impulses related to voluntary skeletal

movement from the cerebral cortex to
cerebellum
• Pons contain two regions that control respiration

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C . Mid brain
– Connects the Pons and diencephalon

– conveys motor impulses from cerebrum to

cerebellum and cord

– Sensory impulses from cord to thalamus

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 2. Diencephalon

• Consists mainly of the thalamus and

hypothalamus
• Thalamus-it is superior to mid brain
• Contain nuclei
• Relays sensory impulses to cerebral cortex.
• Provide crude recognition of
pain ,temperature ,touch, pressure ,and
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vibration.
 Hypothalamus
• Below thalamus

• Controls and integrates autonomic nervous

system and pitutary gland
• Function in rage ,aggression ,body temperature ,

Regulation of food and fluid intake,

Maintain consciousness and sleep pattern .

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 3.Cerebrum
• The largest part of the brain

• Its cortex contain convolutions ,fissures and sulci .

• The cerebral lobes are

– Frontal lobe

– Parietal lobe

– Temporal lobe

– Occipital lobe

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• Left cerebral hemisphere
– Right handed control
– Spoken
– Written language
– Numerical and scientific skills
– Reasoning

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• Right cerebral hemisphere
– Left handed control
– Musical and artistic awareness
– Space and pattern perception
– Insight
– Imagination
– Generating mental images of
sight,sound,touch,taste ,smell
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 Cerebellum

• Occupies the inferior and posterior aspect of

the cranial cavity.
• Consists of two cerebellar hemisphere
• It is attached to the brainstem by three
parts of cerebellar peduncles .
• Coordinates skeletal muscles and maintain
normal muscle tone and body equilibrium .
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 Cranial nerves
• There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves
• They all originate from the brain.
• These are – CN 1 – olifactory nerve
- CN 2 – optic nerve
- CN 3 – oculomotor nerve
- CN 4 – trochlear nerve
- CN 5 – trigeminal nerve
- CN 6 – abducens nerve

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 Cont….

• CN 7 – facial nerve

• CN 8 – vestibulocochlear

• CN 9 – glossopharyngeal

• CN 10 – vagus nerve

• CN 11 – accessory nerve

• CN 12 – hypoglossal nerve
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 2.Spinal cord
• Protected by vertebral canal ,meninges ,CSF
fluid and vertebral ligaments .

• The meninges -3 connective tissue –dura mater

- arachnoid
- pia-mater

• Removal of the CSF from spinal cord is known

as lumbar puncture.
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 General features
• The spinal cord extends from foramen
magnum of occipital bone to the top of
the second lumbar vertebrae.
• It contains cervical and lumbar
enlargements that serve as a point of
origin for nerves to the trunk.
• Nerves arising from the lowest portion
of the cord are called cauda equina .

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 Cont…

• The center of the spinal cord is the

central canal. contains the CSF

• The spinal cord contains sensory

(asending )and motor( desending) tracts.

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 Function
• Convey sensory impules

• Reflex center

• Reflex is a quick ,predictable ,automatic

response to a stimulus.

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 Spinal nerves
• There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves
• Named and numbered according to the region
and level of spinal cord from which they
emerge.
• These are - cervical nerves – 8 pairs
- thoracic nerves – 12 pairs
- lumbar nerves - 5 pairs
- sacral nerves - 5 pairs
- coccygeal nerves – 1 pair

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