BME 305

ANATOMY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

LN05
 LEARNING OUTCOME
• At the end of this lesson, you should be able to
Identify and understand the following:
 The nervous system and its subdivisions
 The parts that makes up the Nervous system
 THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
• The nervous system is the central processing unit of the body
• It is subdivided into Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous
System.
• The Central Nervous System consists of the Brain and the Spinal Cord.
• The Peripheral Nervous system consists of the sensory receptors,
nerves, ganglia and the plexuses.
• The Peripheral nervous system is subdivided into Sensory and motor
division.
• The motor division is divided into somatic nervous system and
autonomic nervous system.
• The autonomic nervous system is divided into sympathetic and
parasympathetic
The Nervous System
Nervous Tissue
• Nervous tissue is organized in both the CNS and the PNS so that axons form
bundles, and neuron cell bodies and their relatively short dendrites are grouped
together.
• Therefore, both the CNS and the PNS contain areas of gray matter and areas of
white matter.
• Gray matter consists of groups of neuron cell bodies and their dendrites, where
there is very little myelin. In the CNS, gray matter on the surface of the brain is
called the cortex, and clusters of gray matter located deeper within the brain are
called nuclei. In the PNS, a cluster of neuron cell bodies is called a ganglion.
• White matter consists of bundles of parallel axons with their myelin sheaths,
which are whitish in color. White matter of the CNS forms nerve tracts, or
conduction pathways, which propagate action potentials from one area of the CNS
to another. In the PNS, bundles of axons and their connective tissue sheaths are
called nerves.
• The major cells that make up the nerve tissue are the nerve cells and neuroglia.
Nerve Cells
• Nerve cells are also called neurons.
• All neurons have: one axon, one cell body, an-
done or more dendrite.
• Organelle of the cell body include: nucleus,
golgi apparatus and RER
• Organelles of the axon include: mitochondria,
neurofilaments and neurotubules.
Nerve cell
 The Central Nervous System (CNS)
• The CNS is the major site for processing information, initiating
responses, and integrating mental processes.
• It has the ability to receive input, process and store information, and
generate responses
The CNS consists of the brain and the spinal cord.
• The brain is the part of the central nervous system (CNS) that is
contained within the cranial cavity.
• It consists of the (BCDC)
 Brainstem
Cerebellum
Diencephalon
 Cerebrum.
 BRAINSTEM
• The brainstem connects the spinal cord to the
remainder of the brain. The parts include:
i. The midbrain
ii. The hindbrain (medulla oblongata and the
pons)
THE BRAIN
Midbrain
• The midbrain is the smallest region of the
brainstem. It is located just superior to the
pons.
It controls vision, hearing and the muscles.
Medulla Oblongata
• The medulla oblongata often called the medulla, is about 3 cm long.
• It is the most inferior part of the brainstem and is continuous
inferiorly with the spinal cord.
• It connects the CEREBRUM with the SPINAL CORD
• The medulla oblongata contains sensory and motor tracts, cranial
nerve nuclei, and related nuclei.
• Superficially, the spinal cord blends into the medulla oblongata, but
internally several differences exist.
• It controls alertness, heart action, respiration (breathing) and blood
pressure.
• The RIGHT side of the brain controls the LEFT side of the body while
the LEFT side of the brain controls the RIGHT side of the body
Pons
• The part of the brainstem just superior to the medulla oblongata
is the pons .
• It connects the medulla oblongata, the cerebellum, and cerebrum
• The pons contains ascending and descending tracts and several
nuclei.
• The pontine nuclei, located in the anterior portion of the pons,
relay information from the cerebrum to the cerebellum.
• It is associated with sensory nerves: taste, hearing, and balance.
• It controls muscles of the face.
• It is the site of reflex centres.
PARTS OF THE BRAIN
Cerebellum
• The cerebellum is attached to the brainstem posterior to the pons.
• It is the second largest part of the brain
• The cerebellum consists of three parts: a small inferior part, the
flocculonodular lobe; a narrow central vermis(worm-shaped); and two
large lateral hemispheres.
• The flocculonodular lobe, the simplest part of the cerebellum, helps
control balance and eye movements.
• The vermis and the medial portion of the lateral hemispheres are
involved in controlling posture, locomotion, and fine motor coordination,
thereby producing smooth, flowing movements.
• The major portions of the lateral hemispheres of the cerebellum function
in concert with the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex in planning,
practicing, and learning complex movements.
Diencephalon
• The diencephalon is the part of the brain between the brainstem and the cerebrum.
• Its main components are:
i. The thalamus: is by far the largest part of the diencephalon, constituting about four-fifths
of its weight. It receives sensory information and sends it to the cerebral cortex. It also
influences mood and actions associated with strong emotions, such as fear and rage.
ii. The subthalamus: it is a small area immediately inferior to the thalamus. The nuclei are
associated with the basal nuclei and are involved in controlling motor functions.
iii. The epithalamus: it consists of the habenula and the pineal gland. It is a small area
superior and posterior to the thalamus. The habenula is influenced by the sense of smell
and is involved in emotional and visceral responses to odors. The pineal gland, or pineal
body is involved in modulation of the sleep-wake cycle and other biorhythms.
iv. Hypothalamus: They are involved in olfactory reflexes and emotional responses to odors.
They may also be involved in memory. A funnel-shaped stalk, thconnects the endocrine and
nervous systems.

It controls the autonomic nervous system, body temperature, carbohydrate and fat metabolism,
appetite and emotions
Cerebrum
• The cerebrum accounts for the largest portion of total brain weight, which is about 1200 g in
females and 1400 g in males. The cerebrum is divided into left and right hemispheres by a
longitudinal fissure.
• Each cerebral hemisphere is divided into lobes, which are named for the skull bones overlying
each of them. They are:
1. The frontal lobe: It is important in voluntary motor function, motivation, aggression, the
sense of smell, and mood. The anterior region, called the prefrontal cortex, is involved in
personality, intelligence, creativity, memory, ideas and decision making.
2. The parietal lobe: is the major center for receiving and evaluating most sensory
information, except for smell, hearing, taste, and vision. It collects, recognizes, and
organizes sensations: feelings of pain, temperature, touch, position and movement
3. The occipital lobe: functions in receiving and integrating visual input.
4. The temporal lobe: receives and evaluates input for smell and hearing and plays an
important role in memory. processes auditory (hearing) information stores auditory
(hearing) and visual (seeing) memories. Itincludes Broca’s speech area. Its anterior and
inferior portions, called the “psychic cortex,” are associated with such brain functions as
abstract thought and judgment.
CEREBRUM
 Meninges
• Meninges are three connective tissue membranes that
surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.
• They meninges are:
1. Dura mater: The outer, hardest, toughest membrane
2. Arachnoid: The middle, web like membrane.
3. Pia mater: The inner, thinner membrane
• Subdural space: space between the dura mater and the
arachnoid.
• Subarachnoid: space between the pia mater and the
arachnoid
Spaces between the meninges

Dura mater
Subdural space
Subarachnoid
Arachnoid space
Pia mater BRAIN
 Cerebrospinal Fluid
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear fluid similar to
blood serum with most of the proteins removed.
• It bathes the brain and the spinal cord
• It provides a protective cushion around the CNS.
• CSF allows the brain to float within the cranial cavity,
so that it does not rest directly on the surface of the skull
or dura mater.
• In addition, it protects the brain against the shock of
rapid head movements. It also provides some nutrients
to CNS tissues.
 Spinal Cord
• The spinal cord is the major communication
link between the brain and the PNS inferior to
the head.
• It integrates incoming information and
produces responses through reflex
mechanisms.
The Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord
• The spinal cord extends from the foramen magnum to
the level of the second lumbar vertebra .
• It is considerably shorter than the vertebral column.
• The spinal cord is composed of cervical, thoracic,
lumbar, and sacral segments, named according to the
portion of the vertebral column from which their nerves
enter and exit.
• The spinal cord is larger in diameter at its superior end,
and it gradually decreases in diameter toward its
inferior end
REFLEX ARC
• The basic structural unit of the nervous system is the neuron .
• The basic functional unit of the nervous system is the reflex arc
because it is the smallest, simplest portion capable of receiving a
stimulus and producing a response.
• The reflex arc generally has five basic components:
i. a sensory receptor
ii. a sensory neuron
iii. an interneuron
iv. a motor neuron
v. an effector organ .
The simplest reflex arcs do not involve interneurons
Reflex
• A reflex is an automatic response to a stimulus produced
by a reflex arc.
• It occurs without conscious thought.
• Action potentials initiated in sensory receptors are
transmitted along the axons of sensory neurons to the
CNS, where the axons usually synapse with interneurons.
• Interneurons synapse with motor neurons, which send
axons out of the spinal cord and through the PNS to
muscles or glands, where the action potentials of the
motor neurons cause these effector organs to respond
Reflex cont.d
Reflex can be inborn (a baby has it at birth, such as sucking, swallowing, urinating) can be
learned (such as talking, walking, driving).
LEARNED
reading
typing
swimming
dancing
skating
playing football
INBORN
knee jerk reflex
pupillary reflex
Babinski
swallowing
coughing
blinking
 Peripheral Nervous System
• The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of all the nervous tissue outside the
CNS. It includes sensory receptors, nerves, ganglia, and plexuses.
1. Sensory receptors are the endings of neurons, or separate, specialized cells that
detect temperature, pain, touch, pressure, light, sound, odor, and other stimuli.
Sensory receptors are located in the skin, muscles, joints, internal organs, and
specialized sensory organs, such as the eyes and ears.
2. A nerve is a bundle of nerve fibers, called axons, and their sheaths; it connects the
CNS to sensory receptors, muscles, and glands. There are 12 pairs of cranial
nerves that originate from the brain and 31 pairs of spinal nerves that originate
from the spinal cord
3. A ganglion (knot) is a collection of neuron cell bodies located outside the CNS. It
has a crucial role in sensory transmission in the human body.
4. A plexus (braid) is an extensive network of axons and, in some cases, neuron cell
bodies, located outside the CNS. A plexus serves as an area where spinal nerves
come together, are sorted, and then travel to their respective areas of the body.
 Peripheral Nervous System
• Cranial nerves transmit and relay information to the brain
analogous to the spinal nerves, except they do so by direct
connections to the brain instead of the spinal cord.
• There are 12 cranial nerves
• By convention, the 12 pairs of cranial nerves are indicated by
Roman numerals (I–XII) from anterior to posterior
• The first 2 pairs of cranial nerves connect directly to the
cerebrum (I) or the diencephalon (II). Nine pairs of cranial
nerves connect to the brainstem. The remaining pair of
cranial nerves (XI) is connected to the spinal cord and has no
direct connection to brain structures.
Cranial Nerve
• A given cranial nerve may have one or more of three functions:
i. sensory,
ii. somatic motor
iii. parasympathetic
• Sensory functions include the special senses, such as vision,
and the more general senses, such as touch and pain.
• Somatic motor functions involve the control of skeletal
muscles through motor neurons.
• Parasympathetic(feed or breed) function involves the
regulation of glands, smooth muscles, and cardiac muscle.
 Peripheral Nervous System
• Spinal nerves transmit and relay information to
spinal cord.
• The spinal cord gives rise to 31 pairs of spinal
nerves, which exit the vertebral column through
intervertebral and sacral foramina.
• All of the 31 pairs of spinal nerves, except the
first pair and those in the sacrum, exit the
vertebral column through intervertebral
foramina located between adjacent vertebrae
Spinal Nerve
There are many spinal nerves.
Spinal nerves are identified by numbers and letters.
C = A nerve connected to one of the cervical (neck) vertebrae
T = A nerve connected to one of the thoracic (upper body) vertebrae
L = A nerve connected to one of the lumbar ( middle body) vertebrae
S = A nerve connected to one of the sacral (lower body) vertebrae
EX: L4 means the fourth lumbar vertebra
• The cervical nerves are designated C1–C8, the thoracic nerves T1–
T12, the lumbar nerves L1–L5, and the sacral nerves S1–S5
• The single coccygeal nerve is often not designated, but when it is the symbol Co
is usually used