The nervous system is a complex collection

of nerves and specialized cells known as

neurons that transmit signals between
different parts of the body.

It is essentially the body's electrical wiring.

Structurally, the nervous system has two

components:

1-the central nervous system

2-the peripheral nervous system.
The central nervous system is made up of the brain,
spinal cord and some of the cranial nerves.

The peripheral nervous system consists of:

1- sensory neurons
2- sensory neuron ganglia (clusters of neurons)
3- motor neurons
Functionally, the nervous system has two main
subdivisions:
1-the somatic, or voluntary component
2-the autonomic, or involuntary component

The somatic system consists of nerves that connect

the brain and spinal cord with muscles and sensory
receptors in the skin.

The autonomic nervous system regulates certain body

processes, such as blood pressure and the rate of
breathing, that work without conscious effort.
There are over 100 trillion neural connections in the
average human brain, though the number and location
can vary.
100,000,000 neurons
1000 connections for any neuron

For example, a new study published January 2018 in

the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, found that out of the 160 participants
studied, the brains of highly creative people have more
connections among three specific regions of the brain
than less creative thinkers.
In vertebrates, the brain is protected by the skull,
while the spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae.

The brain and spinal cord are both enclosed in

the meninges.

Within the CNS, the interneuronal space is filled

with a large amount of supporting non-neuronal
cells called neuroglial cells.
The central nervous system consists of the brain
and spinal cord.

It is referred to as "central" because it combines

information from the entire body and coordinates
activity across the whole organism.

This article gives a brief overview of the central

nervous system (CNS).
Here are some key points about the central
nervous system.

More detail and supporting information is in the

main article.

The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord.

The brain is the most complex organ in the body

and uses 20 percent of the total oxygen we breathe
in.

The brain consists of an estimated 100 billion

neurons, with each connected to thousands more.
 The brain gross anatomy

2 diencephalone
Between 2 4
hemispheres

1
1-Brainstem:
consists of :
-the Medulla
Diencephalone

-the Pons
-the Midbrain
1-1)The medulla can be referred to
as an extension of the spinal cord,
which both have similar
organization and functional properties:

1-1)The tracts passing from the spinal

cord to the brain, pass through here.

1-2)Regulatory functions of the medulla

nuclei include control of blood
pressure and breathing.

1-3)Other nuclei are involve balance,

hearing, taste and control of
muscles of the face and neck.
1-2) The next structure rostral to the
medulla is the Pons, which lies on the
ventral anterior side of the brainstem:

a)Nuclei in the pons include pontine

nuclei which work with the
cerebellum and transmit
information between the
cerebellum and the cerebral cortex.

b)In the dorsal posterior pons lie

nuclei that are involved in the
functions of breathing, sleep, and
taste.
1-3) The Midbrain, or mesencephalon, is
situated above and rostral to the pons:

a)It includes nuclei linking distinct

parts of the motor system,
including the cerebellum,
the basal ganglia and both cerebral
hemispheres, among others.

b)Additionally, parts of the visual and

auditory systems are located in the
midbrain, including control of
automatic eye movements.
The brainstem at large provides, entry and exit to the
brain for a number of pathways for motor and
autonomic control of the face and neck through cranial
nerves.

Autonomic control of the organs is mediated by

the tenth cranial nerve.

A large portion of the brainstem is involved in such

autonomic control of the body.

Such functions may engage the heart, blood vessels,

and pupils, among others.

The brainstem also holds the reticular formation, a

group of nuclei involved in both arousal and alertness.
2-Diencephalon: Diencephalone

The two structures of the

diencephalon worth noting are the
thalamus and the hypothalamus.
2-1) The Thalamus acts as a linkage between
incoming pathways from the peripheral nervous
system as well as the optical nerve to the cerebral
hemispheres.

(It does not receive input from the olfactory nerve.)

1-1)Previously it was considered only a "relay station",
but now has been confirmed, it is engaged in the
sorting of information that will reach cerebral
hemispheres (Neocortex).

1-2)Apart from its function of sorting information from

the periphery, the thalamus also connects the
cerebellum and basal ganglia with the cerebrum.

1-3)In common with the aforementioned reticular

system, the thalamus is involved in wake-fullness
and consciousness.
2-2) The Hypothalamus engages in functions of a
number of primitive emotions or feelings such
as hunger, thirst and maternal bonding:

2-1)This is regulated partly through control

of secretion of hormones from
the pituitary gland.

2-2)Additionally the hypothalamus plays a

role in motivation and many other
behaviors of the individual.
 Diencephalone

3- Cerebrum:
It’s the largest part of the brain and is composed of right and
left hemispheres.

It performs higher functions like interpreting touch, vision

and hearing, as well as speech, reasoning, emotions, learning,
and fine control of movement.

Various structures combine to form the cerebral

hemispheres, among others:

1-cortex
2-basal ganglia
3-amygdala
4-hippocampus.
3-1)The hemispheres together, control a large
portion of the functions of the human brain
such as emotion, memory, perception and
motor functions.

Apart from this, the cerebral hemispheres

stand for the cognitive capabilities of the brain.

One of the most important parts of the cerebral

hemispheres is the cortex, made up of gray
matter covering the surface of the brain.

Functionally, the cerebral cortex is involved in

planning and carrying out of everyday tasks.
Any hemisphere (gray matter) is roughly split into four lobes:

3
4 2

1
1-Temporal lobe :
-Important for processing sensory input and
assigning it emotional meaning.
-It is also involved in laying down long-term memories.
-Some aspects of language perception are also
housed here.

2-Occipital lobe :
-visual processing region of the brain, housing the
visual cortex.

occipital
lobe

Temporal
lobe
3-Parietal lobe :
-The parietal lobe integrates sensory information including
touch, spatial awareness, and navigation.
-Touch stimulation from the skin is ultimately sent to the
parietal lobe.
-It also plays a part in language processing.

4-Frontal lobe :
-Positioned at the front of the brain.
-The frontal lobe contains the majority of dopamine-sensitive
neurons and is involved in attention, reward, short-term
memory, motivation, and planning.
pariet
al lobe
frontal
lobe
90%

10%
Connecting each of the hemispheres is
the corpus callosum by a broad band of nerve
fibers as well as several additional commissures.

It is the largest white matter structure in the brain

and allows the two hemispheres to communicate.

Dyslexic children have smaller corpus callosum ;

left-handed people, ambidextrous people, and
musicians typically have larger ones.
Right Left hemispher
hemispher
3-2) Basal ganglia:
It’s involved in the control of voluntary motor
movements, procedural learning, and decisions
about which motor activities to carry out.

One of the diseases that affect this area is

Parkinson’s disease .
 amygdala

3-3) Amygdala:
Two almond-shaped nuclei deep within the temporal
lobe.

They are involved in decision-making, memory, and

emotional responses; particularly negative emotions.
3-4) The hippocampus:
3-4) The hippocampus:

It’s a major component of the brain of humans and

other vertebrates.

Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi,

one in each side of the brain.

The hippocampus is located under the cerebral

cortex in the allocortex.
 The hippocampus is part of the limbic system,
and plays important roles in the consolidation
of information from short-term memory to
long-term memory, and in spatial memory that
enables navigation.

It contains two main interlocking parts:

a) the hippocampus proper

(also called Cornu Ammonis (CA))

b) the dentate gyrus.

lateral
 Diencephalone

4-Cerebellum:

The cerebellum lies behind the pons.

The cerebellum is composed of several dividing fissures

and lobes.
 Diencephalone

Its function includes the control of posture and the

coordination of movements of parts of the body,
including the eyes and head, as well as the limbs.

Further, it is involved in motion that has been learned

and perfected though practice, and it will adapt to new
learned movements.

Despite its previous classification as a motor structure,

the cerebellum also displays connections to areas of
the cerebral cortex involved in language and cognition.
The body of the cerebellum holds more neurons than
any other structure of the brain, including that of the
larger cerebrum, but is also more extensively
understood than other structures of the brain, as it
includes fewer types of different neurons.

It handles and processes sensory stimuli, motor

information, as well as balance information from
the vestibular organ.
Cranial nerves
Cranial nerves:

The cranial nerves are 12 pairs of nerves

that arise directly from the brain and pass
through holes in the skull rather than
traveling along the spinal cord.

These nerves collect and send information

between the brain and parts of the body –
mostly the neck and head.
Of these 12 pairs, the olfactory and optic nerves arise
from the forebrain and are considered part of the
central nervous system:

1-Olfactory nerves (cranial nerve I): transmit

information about odors from the upper section of
the nasal cavity to the olfactory bulbs on the base
of the brain.

2-Optic nerves (cranial nerve II): carry visual

information from the retina to the primary visual
nuclei of the brain.

Each optic nerve consists of around 1.7 million

nerve fibers.
Most typically, humans are considered to have
twelve pairs of cranial nerves (I–XII), with
the terminal nerve (0) more recently recanonized.

They are:

olfactory nerve (I)

optic nerve (II)
oculomotor nerve (III)
trochlear nerve (IV)
trigeminal nerve (V)
abducens nerve (VI)
facial nerve (VII)
vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)
glossopharyngeal nerve (IX)
vagus nerve (X)
accessory nerve (XI
hypoglossal nerve (XII)
Function:

The cranial nerves provide motor and sensory

innervation mainly to the structures within the head
and neck.

The sensory innervation includes both "general"

sensation such as temperature and touch, and
"special" innervation such as taste, vision, smell,
balance and hearing.

The vagus nerve (X) provides sensory and

autonomic (parasympathetic) motor innervation to
structures in the neck and also to most of the
organs in the chest and abdomen
Central glial cells
Central glial cells:

Also called neuroglia, glial cells are often called

support cells for neurons.

In the brain, they outnumber nerve cells 10 to 1.

Without glial cells, developing neurons often lose

their way and struggle to form functioning
synapses.

Glial cells are found in both the CNS and PNS but
each system has different types.
The following are brief descriptions of the CNS glial
cell types:

1-Astrocytes: these cells have numerous projections

and anchor neurons to their blood supply. They also
regulate the local environment by removing excess
ions and recycling neurotransmitters.

Upon CNS injury astrocytes will proliferate,

causing gliosis, a form of neuronal scar tissue,
lacking in functional neurons.
2-Oligodendrocytes: responsible for creating the myelin
sheath — this thin layer coats nerve cells, allowing them to
send signals quickly and efficiently.

3-Ependymal cells: lining the spinal cord and the brain's

ventricles (fluid-filled spaces), these create and secrete
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and keep it circulating using their
whip-like cilia.

4-Micriglia cells: are a specialized population of

macrophages that are found in the central nervous system
(CNS). They remove damaged neurons and infections and
are important for maintaining the health of the CNS.

5-Radial glia: act as scaffolding for new nerve cells during

the creation of the embryo's nervous system.
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