FACULTY OF PHARMACY

MPHA1111 ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY I

5.2 CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Dr.Sheryar Afzal
 MENINGES
 The brain & spinal cord are completely
surrounded by 3 membranes:
Between skull & brain
Between vertebrae & spinal cord
 These are names as, from the outside,
dura, arachnoid & pia mater
 The dura mater & arachnoid mater are
separated by the subdural space
 The arachnoid & pia mater are
separated by the subarachnoid
space, containing cerebrospinal
fluid (CSF).

2
 Dura mater:
Consists of 2 layers of dense fibrous tissue
 Arachnoid mater:
This delicate serous membrane lies between the dura & pia maters.
 Pia mater:
This is a fine connective tissue containing many minute blood vessels.

4
 BRAIN VENTRICLES
 Within the brain there are 4 ventricles (cavities) containing CSF:
Right & left lateral ventricles
Lie within the cerebral hemispheres, one on each side of the median plane just
below the corpus callosam
Third ventricle
Cavity situated below the lateral ventricles between the 2 parts of the
thalamus.
It communicates with the fourth ventricle by a canal, the cerebral aqueduct or
aqueduct of mid brain.
Fourth ventricle
Is diamond shaped cavity situated below & behind the third ventricle,
between the cerebellum & pons
It is continuous below with the central canal of the spinal cord & communicates
with the subarachnoid space by foramina in its roof
CSF enters the subarachnoid space through these openings & through the
open distal end of the central canal of the spinal cord

5
6
 BRAIN
 Brain constitutes about one fiftieth of the
body weight & lies within the cranial cavity
Cerebrum
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla oblongata
Cerebellum

7
 Cerebrum
 This is the largest part of the brain & it occupies the anterior & middle
cranial fossae
 It is divided by a deep cleft, the longitudinal cerebral fissure, into right &
left cerebral hemispheres, each containing one of the lateral ventricles
 Deep with in the brain the hemispheres are connected by a mass of white
matter called the corpus callosum
 Other area of cerebrum:
Basal nuclei (basal ganglia)
These are areas of grey matter, lying deep within the cerebral hemispheres, with connections
to the cerebral cortex & thalamus
Thalamus
consists of 2 masses of nerve cells & fibres situated within the cerebral hemispheres just
below the corpus callosum, one on each side of the third ventricle.
Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus is composed of a number of groups of nerve cells
It is situated below and in front of the thalamus, immediately above the pituitary

8
 Midbrain
 Is the area of the brain situated around the cerebral
aqueduct between the cerebrum above & the pons below
Pons is situated in front of the cerebellum, below the midbrain
& above the medulla oblongata
 This acts as a relay station for the ascending &
descending nerve fibres

9
 Medulla Oblongata
 The medulla oblongata extends from
the pons above & is continuous with
the spinal cord below
 The vital centres, consisting of
groups of cells associated with
autonomic reflex activity, lie in its
deeper structure.
 These are the :
Cardiac centre,
Respiratory centre,
Vasomotor centre,
Reflex centres of vomiting, coughing,
sneezing & swallowing

10
 Cardiovascular centre
Controls the rate & force of cardiac contraction.
 Respiratory centre
Controls the rate and depth of respiration.
 Vasomotor centre
Controls the diameter of the blood vessels.
 Reflex centres
when irritating substances are present in the stomach or
respiratory tract, nerve impulses pass to the medulla
oblongata, stimulating the reflex actions of vomiting,
coughing & sneezing to expel the irritant.

11
 Cerebellum
 Is situated behind the pons & immediately below the posterior
portion of the cerebrum occupying the posterior cranial fossa.
 The cerebellum is connected with the coordination of
voluntary muscular movement, posture & balance.
 Cerebellar activities are not under voluntary control
 It coordinates activities associated with the maintenance of the
balance & equilibrium of the body

12
 Spinal Cord
 Is the elongated, almost cylindrical part of the
CNS, which is suspended in the vertebral canal
surrounded by the meninges & CSF
 It is almost 45 cm long in an adult & thickness is
about little finger
 Except for cranial nerves, the spinal cord is the
nervous tissue link between the brain & the rest of
the body.
 Some activities of the spinal cord are independent
of the brain, i.e. spinal reflexes.
13
 A cross section of spinal cord shows that it is composed of grey matter
in the centre surrounded by white matter supported by neuralgia
 Grey matter:
Arrangement of grey matter in the spinal cord resembles the shape of the letter
H, having 2 posterior, 2 anterior & 2 lateral columns
The grey matter in the centre with the central canal, an extension from the
fourth ventricle, containing cerebrospinal fluid.
 White matter
Arranged in 3 columns or tracts; anterior, posterior & lateral
These tracts are formed by sensory nerve fibres ascending to the brain, motor
nerve fibres descending from the brain and fibres of connector neurones.

14
 Sensory cells
Receive impulses from
the periphery of the body.
 Lower motor neurons
Transmit impulses to the
skeletal muscles.
 Connector neurons
Linking sensory and
motor neurons, at the
same or different levels,
which form spinal reflex
arcs.
 At each point where
nerve impulses are
passed from 1 neuron to
the another, there is a
synaptic cleft &
neurotransmitter
15