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BIO 201 Chapter 12, Part 1 Lecture

The nervous system is responsible for behaviors, memories, and movement. It helps maintain homeostasis through sensory and motor functions. The nervous system is divided into the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which connects the CNS to organs and sensory receptors. Neurons are the basic functional units and communicate via electrical signals called graded potentials or action potentials. Action potentials propagate signals rapidly along axons due to changes in sodium and potassium ion flow across the neuronal membrane.

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817 views35 pages

BIO 201 Chapter 12, Part 1 Lecture

The nervous system is responsible for behaviors, memories, and movement. It helps maintain homeostasis through sensory and motor functions. The nervous system is divided into the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which connects the CNS to organs and sensory receptors. Neurons are the basic functional units and communicate via electrical signals called graded potentials or action potentials. Action potentials propagate signals rapidly along axons due to changes in sodium and potassium ion flow across the neuronal membrane.

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DrPearcy
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 12, Part 1

Nervous Tissue
Overview of the Nervous
System
 The nervous system, along with the
endocrine system, helps to keep
controlled conditions within limits
that maintain health and helps to
maintain homeostasis.
 The nervous system is responsible for
all our behaviors, memories, and
movements.
 The branch of medical science that
deals with the normal functioning
Major Structures of the
Nervous System
Overview of Major
Structures
 Twelve pairs of cranial nerves.
 Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves emerge from the
spinal cord.
 Ganglia, located outside the brain and spinal cord,
are small masses of nervous tissue, containing
primarily cell bodies of neurons.
 Enteric plexuses help regulate the digestive
system.
 Sensory receptors are either parts of neurons or
specialized cells that monitor changes in the
internal or external environment.
Functions of Nervous
System
 Sensory function: to sense changes in the
internal and external environment through
sensory receptors.
 Sensory (afferent) neurons serve this function.
 Integrative function: to analyze the sensory
information, store some aspects, and make
decisions regarding appropriate behaviors.
 Association or interneurons serve this function.
 Motor function is to respond to stimuli by
initiating action.
 Motor(efferent) neurons serve this function.
Nervous System
Divisions
 Central nervous system (CNS)
 consists of the brain and spinal cord
 Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
 consists of cranial and spinal nerves that
contain both sensory and motor fibers
 connects CNS to muscles, glands & all
sensory receptors
Structure of a Multipolar
Neuron
Histology of the Nervous
System: Neurons
 Functional unit of nervous system
 Have capacity to produce action potentials
 electrical excitability
 Cell body
 single nucleus with prominent nucleolus
 Nissl bodies (chromatophilic substance)
rough ER & free ribosomes for protein synthesis
 neurofilaments give cell shape and support
 microtubules move material inside cell
 lipofuscin pigment clumps (harmless aging)
 Cell processes = dendrites & axons
Structural Classification of
Neurons
Sensory receptors that are
dendrites of unipolar neurons
CNS Neurons
Axonal Transport

 Cell body is location for most protein


synthesis
 neurotransmitters & repair proteins
 Axonal transport system moves substances
 slow axonal flow
movement in one direction only -- away from cell body
movement at 1-5 mm per day
 fast axonal flow
moves organelles & materials along surface of
microtubules
at 200-400 mm per day
transports in either direction
for use or for recycling in cell body
Neuroglia of the CNS

 Most common
glial cell type
 oligodendrocyte
forms myelin
sheath around
more than one
axons in CNS
 Analogous to
Schwann cells of
PNS
Neuroglia of the PNS

 Schwann cells encircling PNS axons


 Each cell
produces part of the myelin
sheath surrounding an axon in the PNS
Myelinated and
unmyelinated axons
Organization of the
Nervous System
Subdivisions of the PNS

 Somatic (voluntary) nervous system (SNS)


 neurons from cutaneous and special sensory receptors to
the CNS
 motor neurons to skeletal muscle tissue

 Autonomic (involuntary) nervous systems


 sensory neurons from visceral organs to CNS
 motor neurons to smooth & cardiac muscle and glands
sympathetic division (speeds up heart rate)
parasympathetic division (slow down heart rate)
 Enteric nervous system (ENS)
 involuntary sensory & motor neurons control GI tract
 neurons function independently of ANS & CNS
Electrical Signals in
Neurons
 Neurons are electrically excitable due
to the voltage difference across their
membrane
 Communicate with 2 types of electric
signals
 action potentials that can travel long
distances
 graded potentials that are local
membrane changes only
 In living cells, a flow of ions occurs
Overview of Nervous System
Functions
Types of Ion Channels

 Leakage (nongated) channels are always


open
 nerve cells have more K+ than Na+ leakage
channels
 as a result, membrane permeability to K+ is higher
 explains resting membrane potential of -70mV in
nerve tissue
 Ligand-gated channels open and close in
response to a stimulus
 results in neuron excitability
 Voltage-gated channels respond to a direct
change in the membrane potential.
 Mechanically gated ion channels respond
to mechanical vibration or pressure.
Ion channels in plasma
membrane
Resting Membrane
Potential
 Negative ions along inside of cell membrane
& positive ions along outside
 potential energy difference at rest is -70 mV
 cell is “polarized”
 Resting potential exists because
 concentration of ions different inside & outside
extracellular fluid rich in Na+ and Cl
cytosol full of K+, organic phosphate & amino
acids
 membrane permeability differs for Na+ and K+
50-100 greater permeability for K+
inward flow of Na+ can’t keep up with
outward flow of K+
Na+/K+ pump removes Na+ as fast as it leaks
Resting Membrane
Potential
Factors that contribute to
resting membrane potential
Graded Potentials

 Small deviations from resting potential of


-70mV
 hyperpolarization = membrane has become more
negative
 depolarization = membrane has become more
positive

 The signals are graded, meaning they vary in


amplitude (size), depending on the strength
of the stimulus and localized.
 Graded potentials occur most often in the
dendrites and cell body of a neuron.
Hyperpolarized/Depolarized
Graded Potential
Graded potentials in response to
opening mechanically-gated
channels or ligand-gated
Stimulus strength and
graded potentials
Summation
Generation of Action
Potentials
 An action potential (AP) or impulse is a
sequence of rapidly occurring events that
decrease and eventually reverse the
membrane potential (depolarization) and then
restore it to the resting state (repolarization).
 During an action potential, voltage-gated Na+ and
K+ channels open in sequence.
 According to the all-or-none principle, if a stimulus
reaches threshold, the action potential is always the
same.
 A stronger stimulus will not cause a larger impulse.
Action Potentials
Stimulus strength and Action
Potential generation
Changes in ion flow during
depolarizing and repolarizing
phases of Action Potential
Refractory period

 Period of time during which


neuron can not generate
another action potential
 Absolute refractory period
 even very strong stimulus will
not begin another AP
 inactivated Na+ channels must return to the resting
state before they can be reopened
 large fibers have absolute refractory period of 0.4
msec and up to 1000 impulses per second are
possible
 Relative refractory period
 a suprathreshold stimulus will be able to start an AP
 K+ channels are still open, but Na+ channels have
closed
End of Chapter 12, Part
1

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