NERVOUS SYSTEM

o Helps regulate ‘homeostasis’ and integrates all body activities by sensing

changes (sensory), interpreting them (integrative) and reacting to them (motor).
o The seat of all mental activity, including – consciousness, memory and thinking.

Functions:
1. Received sensory input from internal and external environment
2. Integration (Integrate the input)
3. Respond to stimuli

Neurology – the branch of medical science that deals with the study of normal
functioning and disorders of the nervous system.

Divisions of Nervous system

I. Central Nervous System – consists of brain and spinal cord
II. Peripheral Nervous System – lies outside the CNS, consists of nerves
and ganglia

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM:

A. Brain
o The adult human brain weighs about 1.3kg body weight, constitutes 2% of total
body wt.
o It is a mass of pinkish grey, jelly like tissue made up of approximately 1billion
neurons and neuroglia.
o It is the control center for all body activities and human emotions

Divisions of the brain:

1. cerebrum (brain)
2. cerebellum (little brain)
3. brainstem – continuation of spinal cord
4. diencephalons (twixtbrain)

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1. Cerebrum:
o the largest part of the brain, constitutes 85% of total brain weight
o it is divided into 2 right and left cerebral hemispheres by longitudinal fissure,
connected from 1 another by a commissural fiber known as the corpus callosum.
o The dorso-lateral surfaces are marked by elevations called ‘gyri’ and
depressions called ‘sulci’, deeper depressions are called fissures.

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Lobes of the brain
1. Frontal lobe – largest lobe, involved in the control of voluntary motor functions,
motivation, mood, and aggression.
- center for higher faculties, contains the ‘brocas area’ (motor speech area).
2. Parietal lobe – principal center for reception and perception of most sensory
information – touch, pain, temperature, balances, etc.
3. Temporal lobe – involved in olfactory (smell), auditory (hearing), and taste
sensations.
- involved in memory, abstract thinking, and judgment
- consists the ‘wernickes area’ (center for language understanding)
4. Occipital lobe – for the reception and perception of the visual input

2. Cerebellum:
o the 2nd largest part of the brain
o divided into 2 lateral cerebellar hemispheres connected by a white fiber called
‘vermis’
o attached to the brainstem by ‘cerebellar peduncle’
o composed of white mater (arbor vitae) and
grey mater.

Functions: (Cerebellum)
1. maintenance of muscle tone
2. coordination of muscle movement
3. equilibrium

3. Brainstem:
o the most primitive part of the brain
o responsible for sustaining the basic
functions of life.

Parts of the brainstem

1. Medulla oblongata – stalk-like and most inferior portion that serves as a direct
continuation
of the spinal cord. It extends from the level of foramen magnum to
the pons
o contains 3 vital reflex centers :
a. cardiac – regulates heart beat,
b. respiratory – regulates breathing, and
c. vasomotor – regulates blood pressure

2. Pons – a bridge like structure found immediately superior to medulla oblongata

o serves as a passageway for all the nerve fibers coming from and to the
brain
o control functions such as chewing and salivation

3. Midbrain – the most superior and smallest portion of the brainstem, serves to
connect the
forebrain with the hindbrain.

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 o consists of corpora quadrigemina (colliculi) that controls the visual and
auditory reflexes.
a. superior colliculi – controls visual reflexes
b. inferior colliculi – controls auditory reflexes

4. Diencephalon :
o situated at the ventro-medial portion of the cerebrum

Parts of diencephalons:
1. Thalamus – largest part and shaped like a yoyo, a major relay center, it
influences mood and registers an unlocalized, uncomfortable perception of pain
2. Epithalamus – a small area, superior and posterior to thalamus; involved in
emotional and visceral response to odors.
3. Hypothalamus – the most inferior part of the diencephalons and important in
maintaining homeostasis; plays a central role in the control of body temperature,
hunger and thirst, sensations such as sexual pleasure, fear and rage.

B. Spinal Cord
o a 45cm cord like structure located within the vertebral column
o -It extends from the base of the skull to the 2nd lumbar vertebrae

Functions:
1. Important conduction pathway for ascending and descending nerve fibers from
and to the brain.
2. Important center for reflexes; ex. Stretch and withdrawal reflexes

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PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Components of PNS:

1. Spinal nerves
- Categorized by the region of the vertebral column from which they
emerge.
- Organized into 3 plexuses: cervical, brachial, and lumbo-sacral
plexuses.
- Serves the sensory and motor functions of chest, trunk and extremities.
2. Cranial nerves
- Designated by roman numerals from I-XII.
- Serves the sensory and motor functions of the head
- I, II, VIII are purely sensory in functions
- V, VII, IX, X are mixed in functions
- III, IV, VI, XI, XII, are motor in function
The 12 Cranial Nerves:

Number Cranial nerve Gen. Function Specific Function

I Olfactory Sensory Smell

II Optic Sensory Vision

III Oculomotor Motor Controls movement of eye

IV Trochlear Motor Controls movement of eye

V Trigeminal Mixed Sensory – sensation of face

Motor – for mastication

VI Abducens Motor Eye movement

VII Facial Mixed Sensory – for taste

Motor – facial expressions

VIII Auditory Sensory Cochlear – hearing

Vestibular – balance

IX Glossophayryngeal Mixed Sensory – for taste

Motor – swallowing and
secretion of saliva

X Vagus Mixed Sensory – pharynx, larynx,

Motor – palate, pharynx, larynx

XI Spinal Accessory Motor neck and upper back muscles

XII Hypoglossal Motor Tongue muscles for speech

THE END
DR. ELOISA BELTRAN ABQUINA-MALLO