The Nervous System

The Nervous System

The Brain
The Spinal Cord
The Nerves
Nerve cells/Neurons

 A structured and functional unit of the nervous system.

 Are irregular in shape and able to conduct electrochemical

signals.
Two main parts of the nervous system

 Thecentral nervous system – is made up of the brain and

spinal cord.

 The peripheral nervous system – is made up of nerves that

branch off from the spinal cord and extend to all parts of
the body.
Three main parts of the brain
Cerebrum

 Fillsup most of our skull. Enables speech, judgement,

thinking and reasoning, problem-solving, emotions and
learning.

 Other function relates to the senses.

Cerebellum

 Sitsat the back of the head, under the Cerebrum. It

controls coordination and balance.

 Is
important for making postural adjustments in order to
maintain balance.
The brain stem

 Sits beneath your Cerebrum in front of your Cerebellum.

 Responsible for many vital functions of life, such as

breathing, consciousness, blood pressure, heart rate, and
sleep.
The Spinal Cord’s Three Main Function
 Send motor commands from the brain to the body.

 Send sensory information from the body to the

brain.

 Coordinate reflexes.
The Five Basic Human Senses

 Sight/Vision
 Hearing/Audition
 Smell/Olfaction
 Taste/Gustation
 Touch/Tactition
Other Tidbits of Information
Nerve tissue first arose in wormlike
organisms about 550 to 600 million years
ago. In vertebrates it consists of two main
parts, the CNS and the PNS.
 Herophilus (a greek physician) was the first to
examine and report on the structure of the nervous
system. He is believed to be one of the first to
differentiate nerves from blood vessels and
tendons, and to realize that nerves convey neural
impulses. He was able to do this by dissecting
human cadavers (human corpses).
Work of: