Nervous System

NERVOUS SYSTEM
Schools of psychology- BS 2
Parts of the Nervous System
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CONSISTS OF
1. BRAIN 2. SPINAL CORD

BRAIN
Brain The complex mass of neural cells and related cells encased in the skull
The brain can be viewed as having three major parts:
 The hind-brain,
 the midbrain,
 and the forebrain.
The hindbrain is the lowest part of the brain, located at the rear base of the skull. Its
primary responsibility is to perform routine “housekeeping” functions that keep the
body working properly. The hindbrain has three principal parts
The medulla •The swelling just above the spinal cord within the hindbrain responsible for controlling breathing and a variety of reflexes
•The part of the hindbrain that is involved in balance, hearing, and some parasympathetic
PONS functions.
•Two rounded structures behind the pons involved in the coordination of muscle movements, learning, and memory
CEREBELLUM
The hindbrain is the lowest part of the brain, located at the rear base of the skull. Its
primary responsibility is to perform routine “housekeeping” functions that keep the
body working properly. The hindbrain has three principal parts
MID BRAIN
midbrain The small area at the top

of the hindbrain that serves primarily
as a reflex center for orienting the
eyes and ears.
FOREBRAIN
Thalamus The part

of the forebrain that routes sensory
messages to appropriate parts of
forebrain The parts of the the brain and works with other
brain, including the thalamus, parts of the brain to process sensory
hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex, information.
that cover the hindbrain and midbrain hypothalamus
and fill much of the skull The small part of the forebrain
involved with motives, emotions,
and the functions of the autonomic
nervous system.
FOUR LOBES
SPINAL CORD
 The spinal cord’s primary function is to relay messages between the brain and the body, but it also does
some rudimentary processing of information on its own.
 A simple reflex, such as the reflexive withdrawal from a hot object, is a good example. The hot object
stimulates a neural message that reaches a neuron in the spinal cord, called an interneuron.
 The interneuron transmits
the message to another neuron
that stimulates the muscles of the
limb to contract.
Any behavior more
complicated than a simple reflex,
however, usually involves processing
in the brain.
PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
 The peripheral nervous system is composed of the nerves that branch from the brain and the
spinal cord to the body.
 The peripheral nervous system transmits messages from the body to the central nervous system.
 It also transmits messages from the central nervous system to the muscles, glands, and organs
that put the messages into action.
 Messages can travel across the synapse in only one direction.
 So messages coming from the body into the central nervous system are carried by one set
of neurons, the afferent neurons.
 Messages going out from the central nervous system to the body are carried by a separate set of
efferent neurons.
DIVISIONS OF PERIPHERAL NERVOUS
SYSTEM
 1. SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
The somatic nervous system carries messages from the central nervous system to the skeletal muscles that
control movements of the body. These include voluntary movements, such as
typing words on a computer keyboard, and involuntary movements, such as when the
eyes maintain fixation on the computer screen in spite of small but frequent changes in
the position of the head. The somatic nervous system also receives incoming messages
from sensory receptors and transmits them to the central nervous system.
SYSTEM
2. AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
The autonomic nervous system is composed of nerves that carry messages to the
glands and the visceral organs (heart, stomach, and intestines).
The autonomic nervous system plays a key role in two primary functions:
1. Essential body functions. The autonomic nervous system automatically
regulates many essential functions of many organs. Heartbeat, breathing,
digestion, sweating, and sexual arousal operate through the autonomic
nervous system.
2. Emotion. The autonomic nervous system also plays a role in emotion.
SYSTEM
Parts of the Nervous System

Nervous System

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NERVOUS SYSTEM

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CONSISTS OF

1. BRAIN 2. SPINAL CORD

midbrain The small area at the top

Thalamus The part

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