Chapter 7 The Nervous System

Table of Contents
L 1 How the Nervous System Works
L 2 Divisions of the Nervous System
L 3 Sight and Hearing
L 5 Alcohol and Other Drugs
Chapter 7 The Nervous System

L 1 How the Nervous System Works

 What Is the Nervous System?

The nervous system (NS)

A communications network that includes the
brain, spinal cord, and nerves that run
throughout the body, as well as sense organs
such as the eyes and ears.
 Functions of the nervous system
What Is the Role of the Nervous System?
 The nervous system receives information about what is happening both inside
and outside your body.
 It directs how your body responds to this information.
 Helps maintain homeostasis.
Without your nervous system, you could not move, think, or sense the world
around you. Your nervous system also checks conditions inside your body.

What is a stimulus?
Any change or signal in the environment that an organism can recognize and react to.
What is a response?
a reaction to a stimulus.
 The Neuron
Neurons are the cells that carry information through your nervous system.
A nerve impulse is the message that a neuron carries.

State the three main parts of a neuron and describe how an impulse travels through a neuron.
• Cell body that contains the nucleus
• Axon carry impulses away from the cell body to the axon tips at the end of the neuron.
• Dendrites threadlike extensions that carry impulses toward the cell body.
 The Neuron
Given below is the diagram of a neuron . Name the parts numbered 1-5, and describe
how an impulse travels through a neuron.
 The Neuron
Given below is the diagram of a neuron . Name the parts numbered 1-5, and describe
how an impulse travels through a neuron.

Answer:
1. Dendrite

2. Nucleus

3. Axon( Nerve fibre)

4. Axon tip

Answer Key
 Kinds of neurons
What are the different types of nerve cells?
The three kinds of neurons found in the body are sensory neurons, interneurons,
and motor neurons.
1. A sensory neuron picks up a stimulus from the internal or external
environment (sensory receptors), and converts it into a nerve impulse. The
impulse travels along sensory neurons until it reaches an interneuron, usually in
the brain or spinal cord (CNS).
2. An interneuron carries a nerve impulse to another interneuron or to a motor
neuron.
3. A motor neuron sends an impulse to a muscle or gland, enabling it to
respond
Kinds of neurons
Types of Nerve Cells
 How Do Nerve Impulses Travel?

 A synapse is the junction where one

neuron can transfer an impulse to another

neuron .

 At the axon tips, electrical signals change

to a chemical form, so the message can

cross over synapse.

 Divisions of the Nervous System
(NS)

CNS is the division of the PNS is the division of the NS

NS consisting of the brain consisting of all of the nerves located
and spinal cord outside the central nervous system

What is the role of central nervous system?

the central nervous system controls the functions of the body
 The Brain
What is the brain?

The brain is a part of CNS located in the skull and controls most functions in the body.

What are the three main regions of the brain?

Three major regions of the brain are:

the brain stem, the cerebellum, and the cerebrum.

 The Brain
Describe the functions of the three main regions of the brain?
The brain stem is the part of the brain connects the brain and spinal
cord and controls involuntary actions, such as breathing and heart
rate.
The cerebellum is the part of the brain found at the back of the
skull that coordinates muscle actions and helps you keep your
balance.
The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain that interprets input
from the senses, controls movement, and carries out complex
mental processes, such as learning, creativity, and speech.
The cerebrum is divided into left and right halves.
Different areas control functions, such as movement, the senses,
speech, and abstract thought.
 The spinal cord

Spinal cord is a thick column of nervous tissue that links the

brain to most of the nerves in the peripheral nervous system.

 The spinal cord is surrounded and protected by the vertebrae.

Without a spinal cord, you could not move any part of your

body.
 What Is the Role of the Peripheral Nervous System?
The peripheral nervous system is a network of nerves that
connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body.

 The peripheral nervous system (PNS), contains two groups

of nerves.
Name two major divisions of the peripheral nervous
system, describe them, and giving an example of each.
- The somatic nervous system the group of nerves in the
PNS that controls voluntary actions, such as using a
toothbrush.
- the autonomic nervous system the group of nerves in the
PNS controls involuntary actions, including heart rate, blood
pressure, respiration, and digestion
 Reflex
 A reflex is an automatic response that occurs very rapidly and without conscious
control.
 Sometimes skeletal muscles contract without involving the brain.
Use the figure below to answer the following questions.
1. What part of the central nervous system is indicated by C? What is its function?

2. What part of the brain is indicated by D? What is its function?

3. What part of the brain is indicated by A? Identify Two functions of structure A.

4. What part of the brain is indicated by B? What is its function?

5. What type of neurons make up Structures A, B and C.

Use the figure below to answer the following questions.
1. What part of the central nervous system is indicated by C? What is its function?
C is the spinal cord. It serves as a link between the brain and most of the nerves of the
peripheral nervous system.

2. What part of the brain is indicated by D? What is its function?

D is the brain stem, which regulates basic body functions that are involuntary, such as
heartbeat.

3. What part of the brain is indicated by A? Identify Two functions of structure A.

A is the cerebrum, which interprets input from the senses, controls movement, and
carries out complex mental processes.

4. What part of the brain is indicated by B? What is its function?

B is the cerebellum, which coordinates muscle actions and helps you keep your balance.

5. What type of neurons make up Structures A, B and C.

Interneurons
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line at the left.

1. A synapse is the space between

a. one cell and another cell.
b. an axon and the cell body.
c. a dendrite and the cell body.
d. an axon tip and the structure that receives the nerve impulse.

2. A change or signal in the environment that can make an organism react is called a(n)
a. stimulus. c. impulse.
b. reaction. d. response.

3. What part of a neuron carries nerve impulses away from the cell body?
a. axon c. dendrite
b. synapse d. nucleus

4. An automatic response of the body that occurs very rapidly and without conscious control is called a(n)
a. stimulant. c. reflex.
b. interneuron. d. reaction.
5. The thick column of nerve tissue that links the brain to most of the nerves in the
peripheral nervous system is the
a. brain.
b. spinal cord.
c. cerebellum.
d. cornea.

6. In the brain ____________________ is responsible for the involuntary actions is :

a. Cerebrum.
b. Cerebellum.
c. Brain stem.
d. Spinal cord.

7. The brain and spinal cord make up the

a. central nervous system.
b. peripheral nervous system.
c. somatic nervous system.
d. autonomic nervous system.
8. The junction where one neuron can transfer an impulse to another neuron is.
a. Axon.
b. Dendrites.
c. Synapse.
Cell body

9. In some reflex actions, skeletal muscles contract without the involvement of

a. motor neurons.
b. interneurons.
c. the spinal cord.
d. the brain.
Match each term with its definition by writing the letter of the correct definition in the right
column on the line beside the term in the left column.

1. stimulus a. cells that carry information through your nervous system

2. response b. the message that a neuron carries
c. a bundle of nerve fibers
3. neurons
d. a branchlike structure that picks up nerve impulses
4. nerve impulse e. any change or signal in the environment that an organism can recognize and
5. dendrite react to
f. the long structure leading away from the cell body of a neuron
6. axon
g. the place where a neuron transfers an impulse to another structure
7. nerve h. a reaction to a stimulus
8. synapse
Chapter 7 The Nervous System
L 3 Sight and Hearing
 The Eye

The eyes are one of your specialized sense organs that enable you to

see the objects in your environments.

How do your eyes enable you to see?

Your eyes respond to the stimulus of light. They convert that stimulus

into impulses that your brain interprets, enabling you to see.

 What are the parts of the eye?
Parts of the Eye
The eye is a complex structure that
enables sensitivity to light.

It gives the eye its color

 Parts of the Eye
There are two types of the receptor cells involved in sight: rods and cones
Rods work best in dim light and enable you to see black, white, and shades of gray.
Cones work best in bright light and enable you to see colors.
 Parts of the Eye
Rays of light pass through several structures in the eye:
 First, light strikes the cornea, the clear tissue that covers the front of the eye.
 Behind the cornea, the light passes through fluid to the pupil, the opening through which
light enters the eye.
 The size of the pupil is adjusted by muscles in the iris, a circular structure that surrounds
the pupil, regulates how much light enters the eye, and gives the eye its color.
 Light strikes the lens, a flexible structure that adjusts and focuses light.
 The focused light rays pass through a jellylike fluid and strike the retina, which lines the
back of the eye and contains 130 million receptor cells that respond to the light. They are
two types of receptor cells:
- Rods are the receptor cells that work best in dim light, and enable you to see black,
white, and shades of gray.
- cones are the receptor cells that work best in bright light, and enable you to see colors.
 When light strikes the rods and cones, nerve impulses travel through the optic nerves to
the brain.
 The brain turns upside down image right side up and combines the images from both eye
to produce a single image.
 Identify and explain the vision problem shown in the diagram and how the lens corrects the problem.

Nearsightedness The condition in which a person can Farsightedness The condition in which a person can
see nearby objects clearly and distant objects as blurry. see distant objects clearly and nearby objects as blurry.

Image focused in Image focused in

front of the retina behind the retina
Use the figure below to answer the following questions in the spaces provided.
1. When images focus in front of structure C, what condition
results? How does this condition affect people’s vision?

2. Identify structure C and describe its function.

3. Identify structure A and describe its function.

4. Identify structures D and F?

Use the figure below to answer the following questions in the spaces provided.
1. When images focus in front of structure C, what condition
results? How does this condition affect people’s vision?
Images focus in front of C, the retina, in the condition known as
nearsightedness. People with nearsightedness can see nearby
objects clearly, but they have trouble seeing objects that are
distant.

2. Identify structure C and describe its function.

C is the retina; it contains the eye’s light-sensitive cells called rods
and cones, which generate nerve impulses that travel to the brain.

3. Identify structure A and describe its function.

A is the Lens, the flexible structure that focuses light that has
entered the eye on the retina.

4. Identify structures D and F?

D is the iris. F is the pupil
1. What is the name of the opening through which light enters the eye?
a. iris
b. stirrup
c. pupil
d. Retina

2. Cone cells enable you to see

a. colors.
c. at night.
b. black and white.
d. nearby objects.
 How Do Your Ears Work?
 Ears are the sense organs that respond to
the stimulus of sound. An ear converts
sound into nerve impulses that your brain
interprets. Also, structures in your inner ear
help to control your balance.

 Most sounds are caused by vibrations,

rapid back-and-forth movements, of air
particles.

 Sound waves can pass through gases,

liquids, and solids.
 Parts of the Ears
The ear is divided into three parts:

 The outer ear is funnel-shaped gathers sound waves. Then the waves pass through the ear canal to

reach the eardrum, a thin membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear, and vibrates

when sound waves strike it.

 These vibrations pass to a series of structures in the middle ear which transfer those vibrations to

the cochlea, a snail-shaped tube in the inner ear lined with sound receptor cells. When the fluid in

the cochlea vibrates, it stimulates these receptors that send impulses to the brain.

 Sensory neurons then send nerve impulses to the brain, where they are interpreted as sounds.

 Semicircular canals structure in the inner ear help your central nervous system maintain your
How Do Your Ears Work?
Sequence the path way of sound wave when it passes through the ear
pinna till it reaches the brain.
Sound waves travel through the ear canal to the eardrum. The waves strike the
eardrum and cause it to vibrate. These vibrations travel through the bones of the
middle ear, the hammer, anvil, and stirrup. The stirrup transmits the vibrations to
another membrane, which transfers the vibrations to the fluid in the cochlea of
the inner ear. The vibrations stimulate receptors that convert vibrations into nerve
impulses. The nerve impulses travel through sensory neurons along the auditory
nerve to the cerebrum, where they are interpreted as sound.

The ear pinna the ear canal the eardrum the hammer the anvil the stirrup

the cochlea auditory nerve the cerebrum

Chapter 7 The Nervous System

L 5 Alcohol and Other Drugs

 What is a drug abuse?

Drug Abuse is the deliberate use of a drug for

nonmedical purposes or the use of an illegal drug.

Tolerance is a state in which a drug user needs more

of a drug to produce the same effect on the body.

Addiction is a physical dependence on a drug.

 What Are Some Commonly Abused Drugs?
 Some commonly abused drugs are marijuana, depressants, stimulants,
inhalants, hallucinogens, and steroids.

Name two commonly abused depressants?

Depressants: alcohol and narcotics
Explain the effects that depressants have on the
body?
Depressants are drugs that slow down the activity
of the central nervous system. They relax the
muscles, make people sleepy, and decrease time to
stimulus.
 What Are Some Commonly Abused Drugs?
Explain the effects that hallucinogens have on the body?
Hallucinogens are drugs that makes its abusers see or hear
things that do not really exist.
 What Are Some Commonly Abused Drugs?
Name two commonly abused stimulants?
Stimulants: cocaine, nicotine.
Explain the effects that stimulants have on the body?
Stimulants are drugs that speed up body processes. They increase the rate of
heart beat and breathing.
 What Are Some Commonly Abused Drugs?
 Inhalants are drugs that have mood-altering effects.

 Anabolic steroids are synthetic chemicals similar to some hormones naturally

produced in the body.
Some athletes take them to build muscles and improve their performance.

Inhalants

Anabolic steroids
Drugs that slow down the activity of the central nervous system are called
a. anabolic steroids. c. stimulants.
b. hallucinogens. d. depressants.

A state in which a drug user needs larger and larger amount of the drug to produce
the same effect on the body.
a. Addiction.
b. Withdrawal.
c. Tolerance.
d. Anxiety.

A type of drug that makes its abusers see or hear things that do not really exist.
a. Steroid.
b. Stimulants.
c. Depressants.
d. Hallucinogens