The Nervous System

JCCATOLICO
 Functions of the Nervous
System
• Sensory input – gathering information
– To monitor changes occurring inside and outside the
body
– Changes = stimuli
• Integration
– To process and interpret sensory input and decide if
action is needed
• Motor output
– A response to integrated stimuli
– The response activates muscles or glands
 Structural Classification of the
Nervous System

• Central nervous system (CNS)

– Brain
– Spinal cord
• Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
– Nerve outside the brain and spinal cord
– Spinal nerves carry impulses to and from the spinal cord
– Cranial nerves carry impulses to and from the brain
– PNS links all parts of the body by carrying impulses from the
sensory receptors to the CNS and from the CNS to the
appropriate muscle or gland
 Starting a Nerve Impulse
Depolarization – a
stimulus depolarizes the
neuron’s membrane

A depolarorized membrane
allows sodium (Na+) to flow
inside the membrane
The exchange of ions initiates
an action potential in the
neuron
Figure 7.9a–c
 Nerve Impulse Propagation
• The impulse
continues to move

Figure 7.9d–f
 Regions of the Brain
• Cerebral hemispheres - cerebrum
• Diencephalon
• Brain stem
• Cerebellum

Figure 7.12b
 Cerebral Hemispheres
1.(Cerebrum)
• Paired (left and
right) superior
parts of the brain
• Include more
than half of the
brain mass

Figure 7.13a
 CEREBRUM
• The largest portion of the
vertebrate brain. It consists of
two cerebral hemispheres, which
develop from the embryonic
forebrain. These hemispheres
have an outer convoluted layer
of gray matter – the cerebral
cortex – and an inner layer of
white matter. The two halves are
linked by the corpus callosum.
Each hemisphere of the
cerebrum is subdivided into four
lobes visible from the outside.
They are the frontal, parietal,
occipital, and temporal lobes.
The cerebrum is the integrating
center for memory, learning,
emotions, and other highly
complex functions of the central
nervous system.
 The Convolutions
• have "ridges" which
are called gyri
(singular: gyrus), and
"valleys" which are
called sulci (singular:
sulcus). Some of the
sulci are quite
pronounced and long,
and serve as
convenient
boundaries between
four areas of the
cerebrum called
lobes.
 The frontal lobe
• The furthest forward is
the frontal lobe (from
the Latin word for
forehead). It seems to
be particularly
important: This lobe is
responsible for
voluntary movement
and planning and is
thought to be the most
significant lobe for
personality and
intelligence.
 The parietal lobe
• Behind the frontal lobe is the
parietal lobe (from a Latin
word meaning wall). It includes
an area called the
somatosensory cortex, just
behind the sulcus separating
this lobe from the frontal
lobe. Again, doctors
stimulating points of this area
found their patients describing
sensations of being touched at
various parts of their
bodies. Just like the motor
cortex, the somatosensory
cortex can be mapped, with the
mouth and face closest to the
temples and the legs and feet
at the top of the head.
 The temporal lobe
• At the side of the head is
the temporal lobe (from
the Latin word for
temple). The special area
of the temporal lobe is the
auditory cortex. As the
name says, this area is
intimately connected with
the ears and specializes
in hearing. It is located
near to the temporal
lobe's connections with
the parietal and frontal
lobes.
 The occipital lobe
• At the back of the head is the
occipital lobe. At the very back
of the occipital lobe is the visual
cortex, which receives
information from the eyes and
specializes, of course, in vision.
• The areas of the lobes that are
not specialized are called
association cortex. Besides
connecting the various sensory
and motor cortices, this is also
believed to be where our
thought processes occur and
many of our memories are
ultimately stored.
 2. Diencephalon
• Sits on top of the
brain stem
• Enclosed by the
cerebral hemispheres
• Made of three parts
– Thalamus
– Hypothalamus
– Epithalamus
 Thalamus
• The relay station for sensory impulses
• Transfers impulses to the correct part of
the cortex for localization and
interpretation
• The thalamus also plays an important
role in regulating states of sleep and
wakefulness.
• Thalamic nuclei have strong reciprocal
connections with the cerebral cortex,
forming thalamo-cortico-thalamic circuits
that are believed to be involved with
consciousness.
• The thalamus plays a major role in
regulating arousal, the level of
awareness and activity.
• Damaged thalamus can lead to
permanent coma
 Hypothalamus
• Under the thalamus
• Important autonomic
nervous system center
– Helps regulate body
temperature
– Controls water balance
– Regulates metabolism
• An important part of the
limbic system
(emotions)
• The pituitary gland is
attached to the
hypothalamus
 Epithalamus
• Houses the pineal body (an
endocrine gland)
• Includes the choroid plexus –
forms cerebrospinal fluid
• The epithalamus is represented
mainly by the pineal gland,
which lies in the midline
posterior and dorsal to the third
ventricle. This gland
synthesizes melatonin and
enzymes sensitive to daylight.
Rhythmic changes in the
activity of the pineal gland in
response to daylight suggest
that the gland serves as a
biological clock.
 3. Brain Stem
• Attaches to the
spinal cord
• Parts of the brain
stem
– Midbrain
– Pons
– Medulla oblongata
 Midbrain
• The midbrain – also called the
mesencephalon
• It is involved in functions such as
vision, hearing, eyemovement, and
body movement. The anterior part has
the cerebral peduncle, which is a
huge bundle of axons traveling from
the cerebral cortex through the brain
stem and these fibers (along with
other structures) are important for
voluntary motor function.
• Mostly composed of tracts of nerve
fibers
• Has two bulging fiber tracts – cerebral
peduncles
• Has four rounded protrusions –
corpora quadrigemina
– Reflex centers for vision and
hearing
• Pons- part of the
Pons
metencephalon in the
hindbrain. It is involved
in motor control and
sensory analysis... for
example, information
from the ear first enters
the brain in the pons. It
has parts that are
important for the level of
consciousness and for
sleep. Some structures
within the pons are
linked to the cerebellum,
thus are involved in
movement and posture.

• The bulging center part

of the brain stem
• Mostly composed of
fiber tracts
• Includes nuclei involved
in the control of
breathing
 Medulla Oblongata
• The lowest part of the brain
stem
• Merges into the spinal cord
• Includes important fiber tracts
• Contains important control
centers
– Heart rate control
– Blood pressure regulation
– Breathing
– Swallowing
– Vomiting
PERIPHERAL NERVOUS
SYSTEM
Distribution of Cranial Nerves

Figure 7.21
 Cranial Nerves

• I Olfactory nerve – sensory for smell

• II Optic nerve – sensory for vision
• III Oculomotor nerve – motor fibers to eye muscles
• IV Trochlear – motor fiber to eye muscles
• V Trigeminal nerve – sensory for the face; motor fibers to chewing muscles
• VI Abducens nerve –motor fibers to eye muscles
• VII Facial nerve – sensory for taste; motor fibers to the face
• VIII Vestibulocochlear nerve - sensory for balance and hearing
• IX Glossopharyngeal nerve – sensory for taste; motor fibers to the pharynx
• X Vagus nerves – sensory and motor fibers for pharynx, larynx, and viscera
• XI Accessory nerve – motor fibers to neck and upper back
• XII Hypoglossal nerve – motor fibers to tongue
Spinal Nerves

Figure 7.22a
 Anatomy of Spinal Nerves
• Spinal nerves divide
soon after leaving the
spinal cord
– Dorsal rami – serve the
skin and muscles of the
posterior trunk
– Ventral rami – forms a
complex of networks
(plexus) for the anterior

Figure 7.22b
• There are a total of 31 bilaterally-paired
spinal nerves :
• 8 cervical nerves (C1-C8)
• 12 thoracic nerves (T1-T12)
• 5 lumbar nerves (L1-L5)
• 5 sacral nerves (S1-S5)
• 1 coccygeal nerve (Co)
 Autonomic Nervous System
• The involuntary branch of the nervous
system
• Consists of only motor nerves
• Divided into two divisions
– Sympathetic division
– Parasympathetic division
 Regions of the CNS

Sympathetic – also called the

thoracolumbar division

Parasympathetic – also
called the craniosacral division
 Autonomic Functioning
• Sympathetic – “fight-or-flight”
– Response to unusual stimulus
– Takes over to increase activities
– Remember as the “E” division = exercise,
excitement, emergency, and embarrassment
 Autonomic Functioning
• Parasympathetic – housekeeping activites
– Conserves energy
– Maintains daily necessary body functions
– Remember as the “D” division - digestion,
defecation, and diuresis