THE NERVOUS

SYSTEM

Case 1:
Youre playing with your pet rabbit
in front of St Alberts Hall, when
suddenly you look up and notice a
hawk staring right at you. You
notice that the hawk is piercing
through your soul with its eyes.
You figure that he might have
missed a few meals and your pet
rabbit is looking pretty good right
now. What do you do?

Nervous
System
Components

Central Nervous System

Brain
Spinal Cord

Peripheral Nervous
System

Sensory Input
Motor Input

Autonomic Division

Somatic Division

CENTRAL NERVOUS
SYSTEM
The Brain and Spinal Cord

CNS
Brain

Spinal Cord

Composed

Bundle

of the Forebrain,
Midbrain and Hindbrain.

It

is responsible for higher

order thinking and processes.

Protected

Barrier.

by the Blood Brain

of nerve fibers and

tissue that is located in the
spinal column.

Connects

the PNS to the CNS.

Protection:

encapsulation in
the vertebral column.

Forebrain
Cerebrum: Divided into right and
left hemispheres, both composed
of four lobes. Largest and most
Complex part of the brain.
Epithalamus
Thalamus: Main center for
sensory input and motor output.
Hypothalamus: Regulates
homeostasis.

Frontal lobe

So

Frontal
association
area

ma
tos

Mo
tor

cor
t

en
so
ry

ex

co

rte
x

Parietal lobe

Speech

Taste

Speech

Somatosensory
association
area
Reading

Hearing
Smell

Auditory
association
area

Visual
association
area
Vision

Temporal lobe
Occipital lobe

Midbrain &
Hindbrain
Midbrain: Integration of Sensory
Info
Hindbrain:
1.

Pons: Regulates breathing in

medulla

2.

Medulla Oblongata: control of

breathing, the heart,
swallowing, vomiting and
digestion.

3.

Cerebellum: Major role in

coordination.

PERIPHERAL
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Not the Brain and the Spinal Cord

Peripheral Nervous System

Sensory Input (Afferent
Nerves)
Receive

sensation from
receptors located throughout
the body.
Temperature
Touch
Vibration
Pressure
Pain
Awareness of body movements
and position

Motor Output (Efferent

Nerves)
Composed

of the somatic and

autonomic divisions.
Somatic: Control of skeletal
muscle
Autonomic: controls automatic
body functions.

Parasympathetic
Sympathetic

Nervous System Communication

Parts of the Neuron

Neurons
Sensory

Neurons- Located in
the PNS and carry responses
from senses.

Interneurons Motor

Within the CNS.

Neurons- Located in the

PNS and carry out nervous
system output.

Protection of the Nervous System.

20%

of NS cells are neurons,

the other 80% are neuroglial
cells.

Node of Ranvier
Layers of myelin

Schwann
cells: provide
cell
support and protection to
neurons. Also help maintain
chemical concentrations in
fluid surrounding nervous
Myelin sheath Nodes of
tissue.

Neuroglial

Schwann Cells: produce myelin,

which is a material that
insulates neurons.

Ranvier

Axon

Sensory Input
Input:

sensory receptors are activated by a stimulus and then send

a response to the CNS via a sensory neuron along an afferent
nerve.

Five

Mechanoreceptors: respond to waves of sound, change in fluid

pressure, physical touch or pressure, stretching, and forces
generated by gravity and acceleration.
Thermoreceptors
Pain Receptors
Chemoreceptors: Play a role in taste and smell

1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

classes of sensory receptors

Taste: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami.

Photoreceptors

Heat

Merkel Disks: Gentle Touch

Gentle
touch

Pain

Cold

Hair

Epidermis

Meissners Corpuscle: Gentle

Touch
Ruffini Endings: Pressure

Dermis

Pacinian Corpuscle: Strong

Pressure and High Frequency
Vibrations
Hypodermis

Nerve

Connective Hair
movement
tissue

Strong
pressure

Motor Output
Output:

Receives input from CNS to provide a particular response

through a motor neuron, through an efferent nerve.

There

The Somatic Division

are two divisions in motor output.

Control of Skeletal Muscle

The Autonomic Division

Automatic control of body functions

Somatic Division

Autonomic Division
Sympathetic
and Involuntary
control of skeletal muscle.

Parasympathetic

Voluntary
Thoracic

and Lumbar Spinal

Nerves
Primary

neurotransmitter
released is norepinephrine.
Prepares the body for
emergencies.
Fight or Flight response.

Originate

from Cranial Nerves

and Sacral Spinal Nerves

Part

of Rest and Digest

response.

Neurotransmitter

acetylcholine.

released is

Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters

are
chemical substances that are
released as signals from
neurons to their target.

They

are released from the

synapse of a neuron, which is
located at the end of the axon
terminal.

They

result in two types of

effects.
Inhibitory
Excitatory

Nicotine
stimulates
dopaminereleasing
VTA neuron.

Opium and heroin

decrease activity
of inhibitory
neuron.

Cocaine and
amphetamines
block removal
of dopamine.

Cerebral
neuron of
reward
pathway

Reward
system
response