Organization of the

Nervous System
BT520: Principles of
Neuroscience
Braitenbergs Vehicles
You dont need complex systems to show
complex behavior
Simple systems in their interaction with a
complex world can show complex behavior

like Braintenbergs Vehicles
Braitenberg, V. (1984). Vehicles: Experiments in synthetic psychology.
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Vehicle-I
Vehicle-2a: Express dislike
Runs away
Charges towards
Vehicles IIb: Express liking
adoration
fancifulness
Directions
On the same side Ipsilateral
On the opposite side Contralateral
On both sides Bilateral
Toward the middle Medial
Away from the middle Lateral
Toward the top of the
head/body
Superior
Toward the tail Caudal
Toward the nose Rostral
Toward the back Dorsal
Toward the belly (front) Ventral
Description Direction
Sections
Nodes and Edges
Nodes: nucleus, gray matter, cortex, ganglia

Edges/Wire: tracts, peduncles, fasciculi, commisure,
nerves
Organizational Chart
Developing Brain
Embryonic stages of the brain
telencephalon
Mesencephalon
Metencephalon Myelencephalon
Diencephalon
Peripheral Nervous System
somatic:
sensory: innervate skin, muscles & joints, and provide
info about muscle and limb position etc.
motor: skeletal muscle
autonomic:
sympathetic: participates in response of the body to
stress, reaction to an emergency situation fight and
flight
parasympathetic: conserve body resources,
maintenance of homeostasis rest and digest
Enteric system: controls smooth muscle of the gut.

Somatic Nervous System
Nerves
12 cranial nerves
33 spinal nerves
Nerves
Nerve is a bundle of fibers (axons)
Sensory, motor, pain, or mixed
Labeled line hypothesis

Cranial Nerves
Cranial Nerves
Olfactory Nerve: Smell
Optic Nerve: Vision
Oculomotor Nerve: eye movement, pupil dilation
Trochlear Nerve: eye movement
Controls superior oblique muscle
Trigeminal Nerve: Somatosensory information (touch, pain)
from the face and head; muscles for chewing.
Abducens Nerve: Eye movement
Controls lateral rectus muscle






Eye Muscles
Trigeminal Neuralgia
TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia / tic douloureux) is a disorder of the
fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve
Causes episodes of intense, stabbing, electric shock-like pain in
the areas of the face where the branches of the nerve are
distributed - lips, eyes, nose, scalp, forehead, upper jaw, and
lower jaw.
It's called the "suicide disease".
Something as simple and routine as brushing the teeth, putting
on makeup or even a slight breeze can trigger an attack,
resulting in sheer agony for the individual.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is not fatal, but it is universally
considered to be the most painful affliction known to medical
practice.
Cranial Nerves
Facial Nerve: Taste (anterior 2/3 of tongue);
somatosensory information from ear; controls muscles used
in facial expression.
Vestibulocochlear Nerve: Hearing; balance
Glossopharyngeal Nerve: Taste (posterior 1/3 of tongue);
Somatosensory information from tongue, tonsil, pharynx;
controls some muscles used in swallowing.
Vagus Nerve: Sensory, motor and autonomic functions of
viscera (glands, digestion, heart rate)
Spinal Accessory Nerve: Controls muscles used in head
movement
Hypoglossal Nerve: Controls muscles of tongue






Types of Nerve Fibers
Type A: large myelinated fast fibers of SC
(120m/s)
Type A (skeletal muscle), Type A (muscle spindle)
Type B: small myelinated fast fibers (3-15 m/s)
Preganglionic fibers of ANS
Type C: small unmyelinated slow fibers (0.5
m/s)
Autonomous fibers to visceral targets



Myelin Sheath
Glands
Exocrine glands: have ducts
Salivary glands, lachrymal glands etc
Endocrine glands: no ducts; release
hormones into blood stream
Pituitary gland, thyroid gland, pancreas etc
Sympathetic Nervous System
Paravertebral sympathetic chains
Two prevertebral symp chains
Celiac and hypogastric ganglia
Nerves extending from various ganglia to
internal organs
Sympathetic Nervous System
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Preganglionic and Postganglionic parasym neurons
Preganglionic fibers pass uninterrupted to the organ that
has to be controlled
In the wall of the organ are located the postganglionic
neurons

Vagus Nerve
About 75% of all parasym fibres are in vagus
nerve (X cranial nerve)
Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS)
For treating arrhythmias
For epilepsy
For depression
Exact method
of therapeutic action is unknown

Sym: red
Parasym: blue
Autonomic reflexes
Cardiovascular autonomic reflexes
High pressure in large arteries activates baroreceptors; feedback
from baroreceptors reaches brain stem activates parasym and
inhibits symp.
Gastrointestinal reflexes
Ex: smell/presence of appetizing food nose and mouth
vagal, glossopharyngeal and salivary nuclei of brain stem
activates secretory glands of mouth and stomach

Sympathetic has mass discharge
Alarm or stress response
Inc. arterial pressure
Inc. blood flow to active muscles
Inc. rates of cellular metabolism throughout
the body
Inc. blood glucose
Inc. muscle strength
Parasym produces localized responses
Examples:
Parasym cardiovascular reflexes
Can act only on the heart
Can control secretion of mouth glands or of
stomach glands

Spinal cord and sympathetic nerves