Nervous system

❑ The Nervous System is the master

controlling and communicating system of
the body
❑ The Nervous System CONTROLS and
COORDINATES ALL ESSENTIAL
FUNCTIONS
of the Human Body
❑ So, all bodily activities, voluntary and
involuntary, are controlled by the nervous
system
 Function of the Nervous
System
• SENSORY FUNCTION: Nervous system uses its millions of sensory
receptors to monitor changes occurring both inside and outside of the body.
Those changes are called STIMULI, and the gathered information is called
Sensory Input

• INTEGRATIVE FUNCTION: The Nervous System process and interprets the

sensory input ad makes decisions about what should be done at each
moment—a process called Integration

• MOTOR FUNCTION: The Nervous System then sends information to

muscles, glands, and organs (effectors) so they can respond correctly, such
as muscular contraction or glandular secretions
 Nervous System

Central Nervous System Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

(CNS) • Cranial nerves and Spinal nerves
• Brain and Spinal cord • Communication lines between the CNS and the rest
• Integrative and control center of
the body

Sensory or Afferent Division Motor or Efferent Division

• Somatic and Visceral sensory nerve fibers • Motor nerve fibers
• Conduct impulses from receptors to the CNS • Conduct impulses from CNS to the effectors
(glands,
muscle)

Somatic Nervous System Autonomic Nervous System

• Voluntary nervous system • Involuntary nervous system
• Conducts impulses from the CNS from • Conducts impulses from the CNS from
skeletal cardiac muscles, smooth muscles and
muscles glands

Sympathetic Division Parasympathetic Division

• Prepares the body during fight • Conserves energy
• Maintains homeostasis
 Structural Classification of the
Nervous System
❑ Central Nervous System (CNS):
• Consists of the brain and the spinal cord,
• Act as the integrating and command centers of the nervous system
• They interpret incoming sensory information and issue instructions based on
past
experience and current conditions

❑ Peripheral Nervous System (PNS):

• It is the part of the nervous system outside the CNS
• They link all parts of the body by carrying impulses from the sensory
receptors to
the CNS and from the CNS to the appropriate glands or muscles
• It consists mainly of the nerves that extend from the brain and spinal cord
• Cranial Nerves carry impulses to and from the brain
Layers of the meninges;
❑ Dura mater : Outer tough fibrous membrane
Continuous with epineurium of the spinal nerves
❑ Arachnoid mater: Middle weblike thin membrane containing CSF
❑ Pia mater: Innermost layer containing several blood vessels, remain
bound
tightly to surface

** Between the Arachnoid mater and Pia mater there is subarachnoid

space, which
contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
 Central Nervous System (CNS)
• The central nervous system is composed of two major interconnected organs:
– The brain
– The spinal cord
• These organs work together to integrate and coordinate sensory and motor information for
the
purpose of controlling the various tissues, organs, and organ systems of the body
• The central nervous system is responsible for higher neural functions, such as memory,
learning,
THE BRAIN
✓ and
Theemotion
brain is located within the cranial cavity of the skull
✓ Consists of the
- cerebral hemispheres,
- diencephalon,
- brain stem,
- cerebellum
THE SPINAL CORD
✓ The spinal cord is a reflex center and conduction pathway which is found within
the vertebral canal
✓ It extends from the foramen magnum to L1 or L2
 BRAIN
✓ Weighs about 3 pounds in adults
✓ 75% water, 20% of oxygen
✓ Contains over 100 billion neurons
✓ Controls bodily functions and interactions with the outside world

❑ Cerebral Hemispheres:
▪ The two cerebral hemispheres (the left and the right side) form
the largest part of the brain, called the cerebrum
▪ The two hemispheres are connected by a bridge of nerve fibers that relay information between
the two
hemispheres called the corpus callosum
▪ Each of the hemispheres has been divided into four lobes: Frontal, Parietal, Temporal and
Occipital
▪ Its surface, called cerebral cortex, is convoluted and exhibits elevated ridges called gyri,
separated by
shallow grooves called sulci
▪ It also has deeper grooves called fissures, which separate large regions of the brain
▪ Each cerebral hemisphere is divided by some fissures and sulci into a number of lobes which
 Lobes of 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
 Functional Areas of the
Cerebral Hemispheres

The cerebral hemispheres has three (3) types of functional areas

a. Sensory areas

b. Motor areas

c. Association areas

“Pathways of nerve impulses are crossed pathways — meaning that

the Left side of the brain controls the RIGHT side of the body, and the
Right side of the brain controls the LEFT side of the body”
Functional Areas of the Cerebral
Hemispheres
Functional Areas of the Cerebral
Hemispheres
Functional Areas of the Cerebral
Hemispheres
Functional Areas of the Cerebral
Hemispheres
❑ Brainstem
Made up of the midbrain; Pons and the medulla oblongata
➢ Midbrain : Involved with visual reflexes
➢ Pons:
• Located between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata
• Controls certain respiratory functions
➢ Medulla Oblongata:
• Contains centers that regulate heart and lung functioning, swallowing,
coughing, vomiting and sneezing

❑ Cerebellum
✓ Area that coordinates musculoskeletal movement to maintain posture,
balance,
and muscle tone
✓ Inferior to the occipital lobes of the cerebrum
✓ Posterior to the pons and medulla oblongata
❑ Diencephalon:
The deep portion of the brain containing:
• Thalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Epithalamus
• Ventral thalamus

Serves as relay center for sensations like:

❖ Heart rate
❖ Blood pressure
❖ Temperature control
❖ Behavioral responses
❖ Digestive functions
❖ Water and electrolyte balance
 THE SPINAL CORD

✓ Extends from the medulla oblongata of the brain to the area around the first lumbar
vertebra in the lower back
✓ Nerves from the peripheral nervous system extend out from the spinal cord
✓ Protected by:
- Vertebral column
- Cerebrospinal fluid
- Meninges
✓ The spinal cord is a reflex center and conduction
pathway which is found within the vertebral canal
✓ It extends from the foramen magnum to L1 or L2
✓ Regions are:
Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Sacral
Coccygeal
✓ Gives rise to 31 pairs of spinal nerves - all are mixed nerves
Peripheral Nervous System
(PNS)
• PNS is a collection of peripheral nerves,
ganglia and specialized sensory structures that,
as a system, carries sensory and motor information
between the central nervous system and all other organs and tissues of
the
body
❑ Cranial nerves: Cranial nerves are 12 pairs of nerves that extend from
the
brain to serve the head and neck region,
except the Vagus nerve, which extend into the thorax
and
abdomen
❑ Spinal nerves: Spinal nerves are 31 pairs of nerves formed by the
Peripheral Nervous system (PNS)
 Peripheral Nervous system (PNS)
The PNS has two functional divisions
➢ Sensory or Afferent Division: Consists of nerve fibers that convey
impulses to the
central nervous system from sensory receptors
located in various parts of the body

✓ Somatic (soma = body) sensory fibers: Sensory fibers that deliver

impulses
from the skin, skeletal muscles, and
joints,

✓ Visceral sensory fibers, or visceral afferents: Sensory fibers that

transmit impulses
from the visceral organs

❖ The sensory division keeps the CNS constantly informed of events going
on both
inside and outside the body

➢ Motor or Efferent Division: Carries impulses from the CNS to effector

organs, muscles and glands
 Peripheral Nervous system (PNS)
• Motor Division:

❑ The Somatic Nervous System (SNS):

- Allows us to consciously, or voluntarily, control our skeletal muscles
- This subdivision is often referred to as the voluntary nervous system,
however,
skeletal muscle reflexes are also initiated involuntarily by fibers of this
same
subdivision

❑ The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS):

- Regulates events that are automatic, or involuntary, such as the activity of
smooth muscles and glands
- This subdivision is commonly called the involuntary nervous system
 Peripheral Nervous system (PNS)
• Motor Division (Autonomic Nervous System):

❑ Sympathetic (stimulates) Division

- It is the “fight or flight” subdivision, which prepares the body to cope with
some
threats
- Its activation results in increased heart rate and blood pressure

❑ Parasympathetic (inhibits) Division

- It is the “housekeeping” system and is in control most of the time
- This division maintains homeostasis by seeing that normal digestion and
elimination occur and that energy is conserved
Organization of the Nervous System
 Reflex
➢ Reflexes are programmed, rapid, predictable, and involuntary
responses
to stimuli
➢ Reflexes may be inborn or learned (acquired)
➢ Reflexes occur over neural pathways called reflex arc
➢ It involve both CNS and PNS structures
 Reflex Arc
• Five (5) Basic Element of Reflex Arc
➢ Receptor
➢ Sensory neuron
➢ Integration center
➢ Motor neuron
➢ Effector
 Types of Reflex
✓ Somatic Reflexes – include all reflexes that stimulate the skeletal
muscle
(e.g. When you quickly pulled your hand away
from a hot
object, a somatic reflex is working)

✓ Autonomic Reflexes – regulate the activity of smooth muscles, the

heart, and
glands (i.e. Secretion of saliva and changes in
the size
of the eye pupils); autonomic reflexes regulate
such
body functions as digestion, elimination,
Synapse
Structure
 Function

❑ The main function of the synapse is to transmit

the impulses, i.e. action potential from one
neuron to another

❑ They allow integration, e.g. an impulse

travelling down a neuron may reach a synapse which has several
post
synaptic neurons, all going to different locations. So, the impulse can
thus
be dispersed. This can also work in reverse, where several impulses
can
converge at a synapse
 Anatomical Types

❑ Axo-dendritic synapse
Between axon of one to dendrite of other

❑ Axo-somatic
Between axon of one to soma (body) of other

❑ Axo-axonic – between two axons