Development of the Nervous System
lateral hinge joint forms by a
a. Consist of 3 layers of cells:
endoderm, mesoderm, and
ectoderm
Thickening of the ectoderm leads to
the development of the neural plate
b. the neural groove begins to
develop at 20 days
c. at 22 days the neural groove
closes along the length of the
embryo making the neural tube
d. A few days later 4 major
divisions of the brain are
observable the telencephalon,
diencephalon, mesencephalon
and rhomboencephalon
3 germ layers are formed at
gastrulation:
Ectoderm: outside, surrounds other
layers later in development, generates
skin and nervous tissue
Mesoderm: middle layer, generates
most of the muscle, blood and
connective tissues of the body and
placenta
Endoderm: eventually most interior
of embryo, generates the epithelial
lining and associated glands of the gut,
lung and urogenital tracts.
Neurulation: folding of the neural
plate
1. median hinge point forms
(probably to signaling from
notochord) – columnar cells
adopt triangular morphology
(apical actin constriction, like a
purse string)
2.
similar mechanism (probably
due to signaling from nearby
mesoderm)
3. As neural folds close, neural
crest delaminates and migrates
away
4. Closure happens first in the
middle of the tube and then
zips rostrally and caudally
Failure of neuropores to close can
cause neural tube defects
Anterior neuropore: anencephaly
Posteriror neuropore: spina bifida
Neural tube closure defects (pic)
1. rachischisis
2. spina bifida occulta
3. meningocele
4. myelomeningocele
“regression” of the spinal cord
The spinal cord and the vertebral
column are the same length up until
the 3rd month
As each vertebral body grows thicker,
the overall length of the vertebral
column begins to exceed that of the
spinal cord such that, in the adult the
spinal cord terminates at l2 or 3 and
the dural sac ends about s2
The tail end of the dural sac covering
the spinal cord and nerve roots
remains attached at the coccyx and
becomes a long, thin stand called the
filum terminale
Sometimes, the spinal cord can
become “tethered” or attached to the
dural sac or filum terminale; this pulls
on the cord and can obstruct flow of
csf thus causing swelling of the Ganglion
ventricles of the brain - collection of the nerve cell
(hydrocephalus) bodies

*dermatomes
Trunk neural crest: sympathetic
nervous system
Parasympathetic system: derived from
cranial, vagal and lumbosacral crest
Central nervous system (CNS)
a. brain
b. spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system
- consist of all the nervous tissue
outside the brain and spinal cord
Cranial Nerves
Anatomic division of the nervous
system
Somatic N.S
- The voluntary part of the CNS.
- Soma = body
Autonomic NS (Visceral)
- the involuntary part of CNS
Parasympathetic
- a division of the ans that
originates from cranial nerves VII.
and sacral plexus
Sympathetic
- the other division of the ANS
that originates from thoracic VIII.
spinal segments
Neuron
- nerve cell
- basic functional unit of the NS
2 types of fibers:
1. dendrites – carries impulsive
toward the cell body
2. Axon – carries impulses away
from the cell body
Synapse
- contact site between 2 neurons
Meninges
- covering of the brain and spinal
cord
2 kinds of neurons;
Afferent
- Sensory nerve supply from an
organ to the CNS
Efferent
- motor nerve supply from CNS
to an organ
I. Cranial – sense of smell
II. Optic – sense of sight
III. Oculomotor – extraoccular eye
movements, lid elevation, pupil
contraction, lens shape
IV. Trochlear – downward and
inward eye movement
V. Trigeminal – mastication,
touch, pain, and temperature
VI. Abducens – eyeball movement
Facial – facial expression, lip
articulation, taste on anterior
tongue, secretion of saliva and
tears
Vestibulocochlear (acoustic) –
hearing, equilibrium
IX. Glossopharyngeal – taste on
posterior tongue, gag reflex,
swallowing and phonation of
the pharynx
X. Vagus – visceral mx movement
XI. Spinal Accessory – trapezius
and sternocleidomastoid
movement
XII. Hypoglossal – speech gyri:
movements of the tongue, - precentral, postcentral, broca’s
swallowing area, angular gyrus

Meninges (Medial)
Major fx
- outer covering, CSF circulation, Gyri:
buoyancy of brain - cingulate gyrus
3 layers:
dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater fissures/sulci
- longitudinal, calcarine
membrane reflections
falx cerebri, tentorium cerbelli Tracts
- corpus callosum, anterior
spaces: commissure
subdural, subarachnoid
structures:
vascular system: - diencephalon: thalamus,
- middle meningeal artery hypothalamus
- Major sinuses: superior sagittal - mesencephalon: colliculi
sinus, transverse inferior (superior, inferior)
sagittal sinus - metencephalon: pons,
cerebellum
vertebral basilar system: - Myelencephalon: medulla
- vertebral arteries
- basilar artery Major divisions of the central and
- posterior cerebral arteries peripheral nervous system
Internal carotid system:
- internal carotid  CNS
- anterior cerebral arteries Brain
- middle cerebral arteries Forebrain
circle of willis: Cerebrum
- anterior and posterior Diencephalon (between
communicating arteries brain)
- connecting 3 major arteries Midbrain
- anastomosis Hindbrain
Medulla oblongata
some major cortical structures Pons
(lateral) Cerebellum

cerebral lobes (cortices): Spinal Cord

- fonrtal, parietal, temporal, Cervical segments
occipital, insula Thoracic segments
fissures/sulci Lumbar segments
- central (Rolando), lateral Sacral segments
(sylvius) Coccygeal segments
 Peripheral nervous system Distal to this end of the spinal cord is a
collection of nerve roots, which are
Cranial nerves and their ganglia horsetail-like in appearance and hence
12 pairs that exit the skill through the called: cauda equine
foramina
Meninges
spinal nerves and their ganglia  dense fibrous membrane
31 pairs that exit the vertebral column covering of the CNS
through the intervertebral foramina  Functions:
8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 A. Protection from injury
sacral, 1 coccygeal and trauma
B. Support
Relationship of spinal cord segments C. Nourishment – contains
to vertebral numbers blood vessels
D. Providing a space for
 because the spinal cord cord is CSF flow
shorter than the vertebral Layers (from outside to the inside)
column, the spinal 1. dura mater
 cord segments do not respond 2. arachnoid membrane
numerically with the vertebrae 3. pia mater
that lies in it
Dura mater
Course of spinal roots - thick fibrous extencible membrane
- also serve as the periosteum for the
C1 spinal root exit the spinal column inner surface of the cranial bones
at the atlanto-occipital junction
C2 root exits at the atlanto-axis 2 layers:
The c3 roots exit between c2 and c3
The c8 root exits between c7 and T1 1. outer periosteal layer
- much richer in blood vessels and
The first thoracic root or T1 exits the verves
spinal cord between t1 and t2 - adherent to the inner surface of the
vertebral bodies cranium
- outermost layer of the dura mater
The T12 root exits the spinal cod
between T1 and L1 2. inner meningeal layer – made up of
The L1 root exits the spinal cord dense fibrous tissue lines with a single
between L1 and L2 bodies layer of flattened cells (simple
The L5 root exits the cord between L1 squamous epithelium)
and S1 bodies

The most distal bulbous part of the - between these 2 layers can be
spinal cord is called the conus found the large venous sinuses
meduularis and its tapeing end of the brain
continues as the filum terminale
 - this cerebral dura gives off
reduplication which divide the
cranial cavity into incomplete
compartments
4 septae given by cranial dura
A. falx cerebri – a sickle shaped
median septae lodged in the
longitudinal fissure separting
the two cerebral hemispheres
B. tentorium cerebelli – separated from the pia mater in
transverse septum placed
between the occipital lobe and
the cerebellum
C. Falx cerebelli – a small
triangular septum extending
from the midline of the inferior
surface of the tentorium
cerebelli. It incompletely
seperates the cerebellar
hemispheres
D. Diaphragm sellae – forms the
fibrous roof for the sellae
trucica where it is pierced by
the infundibulum of the
pituitary gland
The dura mater receives its major
blood supply from the middle
meningeal artery. Other minor blood
supply come from the anterior
meningeal branches of the ophthalmic
artery and the posterior meningeal
branches of the occipital and vertebral
arteries
Arachnoid membrane
- middle layer of the meninges
- made up of a delicate
trabecular network which
passes over the sulci of the
cerebral hemispheres without
dipping into them and extends
as a perineural epithelium
among the roots of the cerebro-
spinal nerves and along the
optic nerve
- partially separated from the pia
mater by fluid spaces and by
trabeculae which orifiante
from the pia to the arachnoid
- fluid spaces are collectively
called the sub-arachnoid space.
At the base of the brain the
arachnoid become widely
certain areas called the
cisterns
In specific location, the arachnoid and
the pia mater send prolognations
through the inner layer of the sub-
arachnoid granulation, They are the
major sites of fluid transfer from the
sub-arachnoid space toward the
venous system
a. intima pia – made up of the
reticular and elastic fiber and is
adherent to the underlying
nervous tissue
b. epipial layer – is the
superficial layer made up of a
loose meshwork of collagenous
fiber bundle that are
continuous with the arachnoid
trabeculae
These are spaces related to the
meninges of the brain. There are three
spaces
1. epidural space – a narrow
space between the periosteum
and dura mater. In it are found
anastonsing venous channels
lying in areolar tissue rich also
in adipose tissue
2. sub-dural space – found
between the dura mater and
the subarachnoid membrane.
 This space is filled with
capillaries and moistened by
fluid and is believed to
communicate by celfts with the
tissue spaces in the sheath of
nerves and to the deep
lymphatics of the neck. The
sub-dural space has no direct
communication with the sub-
arachnoid space.
3. Sub-arachnoid space
located between the pia mater
and the arachnoid membrane.
This is where the cerebro-
spinal fluid is contained. It is in
direct communication with the
fourth ventricle of the brain by
means of the re-opening – one
median and two lateral
apertures. The median
aperture is called the foramen
of magendie located in the
caudal part of the thin
ventricular roof. The two
lateral apertures are called the
foramina of lushka which open
into the pontine sub-arachnoid
cistern posterior to the
emerging fibers of the ninth
cranial nerve
We have already mentioned the
cisterns which are the wide intervals
of the sub-arachnoid spaces aththe
base of the brain.
Diff. cisterns of the brain
1. cisterna magna- also called
the cisterna cerebello
medullaris. This is where the
foramen of magendie opens
into. It is the area where the
arachnoid passes from the
posterior surface of the
medulla to the inferior surface
of the cerebellum
2. cisterna pontis – the area of
the sub-arachnoid space
located anterior to the pons
3. superior cistern- posterior
area of the sub-arachnoid
space dorsal to the midbrain
4. Interpenduncular cistern –
area of the sub-arachnoid
– space ventral to the mibrain
Pia mater – is bound to the surface of
the brain by astrocytes
Minimum to remember:
 There are 3 layers of protection
and support between the brain
and the skull: the dura mater,
arachnoid layer and pia mater
 The dura mater is the toughest
layer and the pia is the sofest
layer
 Arachnoid layer is filled with a
web of collagen
 All together these three layers
are called the meninges
 The arachnoid layer + pia
mater layer is called the
leptomeninges