The Nervous System

Dr.Salil Choudhary
The Nervous system has three major functions:
 Sensory – monitors internal & external
environment through presence of receptors
 Integration – interpretation of sensory information
(information processing); complex (higher order)
functions
 Motor – response to information processed
through stimulation of effectors
 muscle contraction
 glandular secretion
 Two Major
Divisions of the
Nervous System
General Organization of the nervous system
 Two Anatomical Divisions
◦ Central nervous system (CNS)
 Brain
 Spinal cord
◦ Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
 All the neural tissue outside CNS
 Afferent division (sensory input)
 Efferent division (motor output)
 Somatic nervous system
 Autonomic nervous system
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Spinal Cord : Column of
nerves from brain to
tailbone – protected by
vertebrae of spine

 Responsible for:
- Conducting impulses
between the brain and
the rest of the body

*Impulses may travel as fast

at 268 miles/hr
Central Nervous System
Brain : a mass of
100 billion
neurons located
inside the skull

-Learning occurs as
more and stronger
connections are
made between
neurons
Anatomy of the Brain
Cerebrum : largest
part of human brain
- Responsible for:
- Thought
- Language
- Senses
- Memory
- Voluntary
movement
Retrieval of a Memory

A memory is not a
snapshot stored in
the brain – it must
be put together
from information
stored in various
parts of the brain
Anatomy of the Brain
Cerebellum : at
base of brain
-Responsible for:
- Muscle
coordination
- Balance
- Posture
Anatomy of the Brain
Brain Stem :
connects brain to
spinal cord
-Responsible for:
- Breathing
- Swallowing
- Heartbeat
- Blood pressure
PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Nerves : visible bundles

of axons and dendrites
that extend from the
brain and spinal cord
to all other parts of the
body
-Responsibilities:
- Sensory nerves
- carry messages
from body to brain
(pain, pressure,
temperature)

- Motor nerves –
carry messages
from brain to body
to respond
 STRUCTURE AND
FUNCTION OF THE
HUMAN
The brain has three main parts, BRAIN
the cerebrum,
the cerebellum, and the brain stem. The brain is
divided into regions that control specific functions

THE CEREBRUM:
Frontal Lobe Inhibition
Behavior Coordination of movements
Abstract thought processes Generalized and mass movements
Problem solving Some eye movements
Attention Sense of smell
Creative thought Muscle movements
Some emotion Skilled movements
Intellect Some motor skills
Reflection Physical reaction
Judgment Libido (sexual urges)
Initiative
Occipital Lobe
 Vision
 Reading

Parietal Lobe
 Sense of touch (tactile sensation)
 Appreciation of form through touch (stereo-

gnosis)
 Response to internal stimuli (proprioception)
 Sensory combination and comprehension
 Some language and reading functions
 Some visual functions
Temporal Lobe
 Auditory memories
 Some hearing
 Visual memories
 Some vision pathways
 Other memory
 Music
 Fear
 Some language
 Some speech
 Some behavior and emotions
 Sense of identity

Right Hemisphere (the representational hemisphere)

 The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body
 Temporal and spatial relationships
 Analyzing nonverbal information
 Communicating emotion

Left Hemisphere (the categorical hemisphere)

 The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body
 Produce and understand language

Corpus Callosum
 Communication between the left and right side of the brain
THE CEREBELLUM
 Balance
 Posture
 Cardiac, respiratory, and vasomotor centers

THE BRAIN STEM

 Motor and sensory pathway to body and face
 Vital centers: cardiac, respiratory, vasomotor
Hypothalamus
 Moods and motivation
 Sexual maturation
 Temperature regulation
 Hormonal body processes

Optic Chiasm
 Vision and the optic nerve

Pituitary Gland
 Hormonal body processes
 Physical maturation
 Growth (height and form)
 Sexual maturation
 Sexual functioning

Spinal Cord
 Conduit and source of sensation and movement

Ventricles and Cerebral Aqueduct

 Contains the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord

 
Functional Areas of the Cerebral
Cortex

Marieb 12.8a
BRAIN TEASER
 There is a town where 5% of all the people
living there have unlisted phone numbers. If
you selected 100 names at random from the
town’s phone directory, on average, how
many of these people would have unlisted
phone numbers?
 If you were running a race, and you passed
the person in 2nd place, what place would you
be in now?