NERVOUS SYSTEM

- provides for higher mental function and

emotional expression
- maintains homeostasis
- regulates the activities of muscles and
glands
- communication by this involves a
combination of electrical and chemical
signals
- all body systems are under control or
regulation of this system
- works with endocrine system in maintaining
homeostasis and regulating systems
- has three overlapping functions:

1. It uses millions of sensory receptors to

monitor changes occurring both inside and
outside the body
 Stimuli = the changes
 Sensory input = gathered information

2. It processes and interprets the sensory input

and decide what should be done at each ORGANIZATION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
moment = Integration
STRUCTURAL CLASSIFICATION
- has two subdivisions:
3. It then causes a response or effect by
activating muscles or glands via Motor Input
1.CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS)
- consists of the brain and spinal
- occupies the dorsal body cavity
- act as the integrating and command
centers of nervous system
- interprets incoming sensory information
- issues instructions based on past - not all skeletal muscle activity
experience and current conditions controlled by this is voluntary

2. PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS)  Autonomic/ Involuntary Nervous

- includes all parts of nervous system outside System
the CNS (nerves that extend from spinal - regulates events that are involuntary
cord and brain) - has two parts:
 Sympathetic
 Spinal nerves  Parasympathetic
- carry impulses to and from the spinal - what one stimulates, the other
cord inhibits

 Cranial nerves
- carry impulses to and from the brain NERVOUS TISSUE: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
- both serve as communication lines - has two principal types of cells

1. SUPPORTING CELLS
PNS FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION - has two major varieties:
- divides into two principal subdivisions:
 Schwann Cells
1. SENSORY/ AFFERENT DIVISION - form the myelin sheathes around nerve
- consists of nerves that convey carries fibers in the PNS
impulses to the CNS from sensory receptors
- keeps the CNS constantly informed of events  Satellite Cells
going inside and outside the body - act as protective, cushioning cells for
peripheral neuron cell bodies
 Somatic Sensory Fibers
- delivers impulses from the skin, skeletal NEUROGLIA
muscles, and joints - also called as glial cells or glia
- supporting cells in CNS that are “lumped
 Visceral Sensory Fibers together”
- transmit impulses from the visceral - not able to transmit nerve impulses
organs - include many types of cells:

 Astrocytes
2. MOTOR/ EFFERENT DIVISION - abundant star -shaped cells that
- carries impulses from CNS to effector organs account for nearly half of neural tissue
(muscles and glands) - form a living barrier between capillaries
- impulses causes a motor response and neurons
- has two subdivisions: - help determine capillary permeability
- play a role in making exchanges
 Somatic/ Voluntary Nervous System between capillaries and neurons
- allows us to voluntarily control our - helps control the chemical environment
skeletal muscles in the brain
  Microglia  Processes
- spinderlike phagocytes that monitor - armlike fibers very in length
the health of nearby neurons dispose of  Dendrites - conveys incoming
debris messages toward the cell body
 Axons - generates nerve impulses
 Ependymal cells and conduct them away from the
- lines the central cavities of the brain cell body
and spinal cord  Axon Hillock - conelike region of
the cell body where axon arises
 Oligodendrocytes  Axon terminals - contains hundreds
- wraps their flat extensions tightly of tiny vesicles, or membranous
around the nerve fibers, producing fatty sacs, that
insulating coverings called Myelin contain chemicals called
Sheaths neurotransmitters
 Synaptic cleft - a tiny gap which
separates each axon terminal from
2. NEURONS the next neuron
- also called as nerve cells  Synapse - a functional junction
- highly specialized to transmit message/ where an impulse is transmitted
nerve impulses from one part of the body to from one neuron to another
another
- differ structurally from one another but all  Myelin Sheaths
have cell body - a whitish, fatty material which has a
waxy appearance, covers most of the
 Cell body long fibers
- the metabolic center of the neuron - protects and insulates the fibers
- cytoplasm surrounding the nucleus - increases the transmission rate of nerve
contains the usual organelles, except impulses
that it lacks centrioles
- abundant in cell body:  Terminology
 Nissl Bodies - rough ER - Nuclei - clusters in CNS where cell
 Neurofibrils - intermediate bodies are found
filaments that are important in - Ganglia - small collections of cell bodies
maintaining cell shape that are found in a few sites outside the
CNS in the PNS
- Tracts - bundles of nerve fibers running
through the CNS
- Nerves - bundles of nerve fibers running
through the PNS

 Functional Classification
 - Sensory/ Afferent neurons - neurons - as this develop and grow, they enclose and
carrying impulses from sensory obscure most of the brain, so many brain
receptors to the CNS stem structures cannot normally be seen
- Cutaneous Sense Organs - simpler unless a sagittal section is made
types of sensory receptors in the skin - Gyri - elevated ridges of tissue that exhibits
- Proprioceptors - simpler types of the entire surface of cerebrum
sensory receptors in the muscles and - Sulci - shallow grooves that separates gyri
tendons that detects the amount of
stretch or tension in skeletal muscles  Cerebral Cortex
- Motor/ Efferent neurons - neurons - speech, memory, logical and emotional
carrying impulses from the CNS to the responses, consciousness, the
viscera and/or muscles and glands interpretation of sensation, and
- Interneurons/ Association neurons - voluntary movement
connects the motor and sensory
neurons in neural pathways  Cerebral White Matter
- most of the remaining cerebral
 Structural Classification hemisphere tissue
- based on the number of processes, - composed of fiber tracts carrying
including both dendrites and axons, impulses to, from, or within the cortex
extending from the cell body
- Multipolar neuron - several process  Basal Nuclei
- Bipolar neurons - with two process - several “islands” of gray matter
—one axon and one dendrite - buried deep within the white matter of
- Unipolar neurons - single process the cerebral hemispheres
emerging from the cell body - help regulate voluntary motor activities

2. DIENCEPHALON/ INTERBRAIN
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM - sits atop the brain stem
- enclosed by the cerebral hemispheres
- major structures are:
 Thalamus - encloses the shallow third
ventricle of the brain
- relay station for sensory impulses
passing upward to the sensory
cortex
 Hypothalamus - makes up the floor of
the diencephalon
- important autonomic center
FUNCTION ANATOMY OF THE BRAIN - has a role in regulating body
- has four major regions: temperature, water balance, and
metabolism
1. CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES - center for many drives and
- collectively called as Cerebrum emotions
- the most superior part of the brain
  Epithalamus - forms the roof of the
third ventricle
- Pineal gland and Choroid plexus
are the important parts of
epithalamus

3. BRAIN STEM
- about the size of a thumb in diameter and
approximately 3 inches long
- has many small gray matter areas
- its structures are:
 Midbrain - a relatively small part of the
brain stem
- extends from the mammillary
bodies to the pons inferiorly
 Pons - a rounded structure that
protrudes just below the midbrain
- have important nuclei involved in
the control of breathing
 Medulla Oblongata - the most inferior
part of the brain stem
- contains centers that control heart
rate, blood pressure, breathing, - provides the precise timing for skeletal
swallowing, and vomiting muscle activity and controls our balance
- an important fiber tract area
- the area where important SPINAL CORD
pyramidal tracts cross over to the - a glistening white continuation of the brain
opposite side stem
- provides a two-way conduction pathway to
 Reticular Formation - a diffuse mass of and from the brain
gray matter that extends the entire - a major reflex center
length of the brain stem - extends from the foramen magnum of the
- neurons of this are involved in skull to the 1st or 2nd lumbar vertebra
motor control of the visceral organs - cushioned and protected by meninges

GRAY MATTER OF THE SPINAL CORD AND

4. CEREBELLUM SPINAL ROOTS
- large, cauliflower-like that projects dorsally - looks like a butterfly or letter H in cross
from under the occipital lobe of the section
cerebrum - Dorsal/ Posterior Horns - two posterior
- has two hemispheres and a convoluted projections
surface - Ventral/ Anterior Horns - two anterior
projections
- gray matter surrounds the central canal of
the cord which contains CSF

PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

- consists of nerves and scattered ganglia

STRUCTURE OF A NERVE
- Nerve - a bundle of neuron fibers found
outside the CNS
- Endoneurium - a delicate connective tissue
sheath that surrounds each fiber
- Perineurium - a coarser connective tissue
that wrap groups of fibers to form Fascicles
(fiber bundles)
- Epineurium - a tough fibrous sheath that
bound all the fascicles together to form the
cordlike nerve

CRANIAL NERVES
- 12 pairs of this primarily serve the head and
neck
- only the vagus nerves extends to the
thoracic and abdominal cavities
- most of it are mixed nerves
- Optic, Olfactory, & Vestibulocohlear nerves -
purely sensory in function

SPINAL NERVES AND NERVE PLEXUSES

- each spinal nerve divides into
 Dorsal Ramus
 Ventral Ramus
- rami contain both motor and sensory
fibers
 Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology 12th
Edition. Marieb, E.N & Keller, 2016. S.M. Boston :
Pearson. (PDF)
AUTONOMIC/ INVOLUNTARY NERVOUS
SYSTEM
- the motor subdivision of the PNS that
controls body activities automatically
- composed of a specialized group of neurons
that regulate cardiac muscle, smooth
muscles, and glands
- signals flood from the visceral organs into
the CNS, and the ANS makes adjustments as
necessary to best support body activities
- has two arms:

 Sympathetic/ Thoracombular Division

- “fight-or-flight” system
- mobilizes the body during extreme
situations
- working at full speed not only when you
are emotionally upset but also when
you are physically stressed

 Parasympathetic/ Craniosacral Division

- ”rest-and-digest”
- allows us to unwind and conserve
energy
- neurons of the cranial region send their
axons out in cranial nerves to serve the
head and neck organs
- chiefly concerned with promoting
normal digestion

- serves body organs by receiving fibers from

both divisions
- exceptions are most blood vessels and most
structures of the skin, some glands, and the
adrenal medulla (only receive sympathetic
fibers)

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