NERVOUS

SYSTEM
Prepared by:

Ahmad Shaml Abd

Rabar Ali Nadr
Eman Dlshad Haje
Fatima Sabah Ezadin
Sara Sami Salih

Supervised by:

M.Sayfaddin
Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 1

Central Nervous System (CNS): .............................................................................................................. 2

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS):.......................................................................................................... 2

Functions of the Nervous System ............................................................................................................ 3

Basic Cells of the Nervous System .......................................................................................................... 4

Neuron ..................................................................................................................................................... 4

Parts of a Neuron: .................................................................................................................................... 4

Three types of Neurons ............................................................................................................................ 5

Impulses ................................................................................................................................................... 6

Synapse .................................................................................................................................................... 6

Connections between Neurons................................................................................................................. 7

References................................................................................................................................................ 8

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Introduction
The nervous system is a complex network of nerves and cells that
carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to various parts
of the body.

The nervous system includes both the Central nervous system (CNS)
and the Peripheral nervous system (PNS).

1
Central Nervous System (CNS):
The structures of the CNS are the brain and spinal cord. Their jobs is
to integrate information coming back from the Peripheral nervous
system and to respond automatically or make decisions on actions that
should be taken. You can think of the CNS as the "head office" of the
body, it works consciously and subconsciously to control all activities
within the body.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS):

The structures of the PNS include the cranial nerves (nerves of the
head) and spinal nerves.

Their job is to communicate information between the CNS and the

rest of the body.

2
Functions of the Nervous System:
1. Gathers information from both inside and outside the body-
Sensory Function.

2. Transmits information to the processing areas of the brain

and spine.

3. Processes the information to the muscles, glands, and organs

so they can respond appropriately-Motor Function.

It controls and coordinates all essential functions of the body

including all other body systems allowing the body to maintain
homeostasis or its delicate balance.

3
Basic Cells of the Nervous System:

Neuron
● Basic functional cell of nervous system

● Transmit impulses (up to 250 mph)

Parts of a Neuron:
● Dendrite – receive stimulus and carries it impulses toward the cell
body

● Cell Body with nucleus – nucleus and most of cytoplasm

● Axon – fiber which carries impulses away from cell body

● Schwann Cells – cells which produce myelin or fat layer in the

Peripheral Nervous System

● Myelin of Ranvier – dense lipid layer which insulates the axon –

makes the axon look gray

● Node of Ranvier – gaps or nodes in the myelin sheath

● Impulses travel from dendrite to cell body to axon

4
Three types of Neurons
○ Sensory neurons – bring messages to CNS

○ Motor neurons – carry messages from CNS

○ Interneurons – between sensory and motor neurons in the CNS

5
Impulses
● A Stimulus is a change in the environment with sufficient strength
to initiate a response.

● Excitability is the ability of a neuron to respond to the stimulus and

convert it into a nerve impulse.

● All of Nothing Rule – The stimulus is either strong enough to start

and impulse or nothing happens.

● Impulses are always the same strength along a given neuron and
they are self-propagation – once it starts it continues to the end of the
neuron it only one direction – from dendrite to cell body to axon.

● The nerve impulse causes a movement of ions across the cell

membrane of the nerve cell.

Synapse
Synapse – small gap or space between the axon of one neuron and
dendrite of another – the neurons do not actually tough at the
synapse.

It is just junction between neurons which uses neurotransmitters to

start the impulse in the second neuron or an effector (muscle or gland)

The synapse insures one-way transmission of impluses

6
Connections between Neurons

The connection between adjacent neurons is called synapse.

The two nerve cells not actually touch here for there is a microscopic
space between them. The electrical impulse in the neuron before the
synapse stimulates the production of chemicals called
neurotransmitters (such as acetylcholine), which are secreted in to
the gap.

7
References:
1. News medical life sciences

2. Live science

3. Lumen learning

4. JOHN HOPKINS medical

5. Wikipedia