Study Guide - Nervous System

1. The nervous system is the main system to communicate and coordinate body activities by
sending electrical impulses. Nervous system forms a communication network in whole body.

2. Central nervous system CNS consists of Brain and Spinal Cord.

3. Peripheral nervous system PNS consists of nerves and ganglia bringing information into or out
of Central nervous System. Cranial nerves – 12 pairs arise from brain and Spinal nerves – 31
pairs arise from spinal cord.

4. PNS has sensory and motor parts. Motor part includes Autonomic Nervous System. ANS has 2
parts Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems.

5. Specialized nerve cells are called Neurons.

6. Sensory neurons bring information from sense organs like eyes to CNS. Sensory = Affrent.
Somatic Sensory = coming from body wall - skin, muscles and joints; Visceral Sensroy = coming
from internal organs - viscera

7. Motor neurons take information from CNS to effectors like muscles or glands. Motor = Effrent.
Somatic Motor – going to skeletal muscles and Visceral Motor – going to smooth or cardiac
muscles.

8. Inter-neurons receive information from sensory neurons and integrate it, interpret the meaning
and pass instructions to motor neurons to act.

9. A neuron has a cell body. Many smaller branched appendages are called Dendrites. Dendrites
bring in information (nerve impulse) to the cell body. A single longer appendage is called Axon. It
takes information away from cell body. It branches at the end into terminal knobs. A terminal
knob secretes a chemical called Neurotransmitter in the gap to the next neuron or muscle
membrane.

10. Resting Potential (- 70mV): is when a nerve fiber has more positive ions outside and more
negative ions inside. It is not conducting any electrical impulse. It is Polarisation. Na+ - K+ pump
maintains the resting potential by pumping 3Na+ out and bringing 2K+ in and consumes 1 ATP
each time.

11. Action Potential (35mV): is the sudden change on stimulation. Na+ ions move in through Na+
gated channels. Now nerve fiber has more + ions inside. Action potential or nerve impulse
travels from cell body side to terminal knob side of neuron. When the impulse reaches a part it
becomes + inside and the part just behind it, returns to resting potential = Repolarisation, due
to outward movement of K+ ions through K+ gated channels. This does not stop at – 70mV but
 becomes more negative (Hyperpolarisation) around -90mV. It has more Na+ inside and more K+
outside. Na+ - K+ pump starts operating and restores the original ionic balance – more Na+ outside
and more K+ inside and keeps it that way until next action potential.

12. Brain: has 4 main parts. 1. Cerebrum – 2 cerebral hemispheres 2. Diencephalon

3. Brain Stem – mid brain, pons and medulla oblongata 4. Cerebellum

13. Cerebrum is the largest part of brain. It is divided into 2 cerebral hemispheres. Longitudianal
fissure divides the cerebral hemispheres. Each cerebral hemisphere has 4 main lobes a – Frontal
b – Parietal c – Temporal d – Occipital, covered by respective bones.

14. Each Cerebral Hemisphere: has Cerebral Cortex – formed of cell bodies, Cerebral white –
formed of nerve fibers and Basal nuclei – lie deeper, have cell bodies and control movements.

15. Corpus Callosum: a broad band of transverse nerve fibers joins the 2 cerebral hemispheres. It is
highway of information between them. It lies above the level of lateral ventricles. A narrow
median band of fibers is Fornix.

16. Lateral Ventricles: two large cavities lined by ependyma and filled with cerebrospinal fluid are
present in the 2 cerebral hemispheres.

17. Cerebral Cortex: The majority of nerve cell bodies = Soma lie in the surface of cerebral
hemispheres. It has large number of grooves = Sulci and ridges = Gyri to increase the surface
area to accommodate more neurons. Different regions are Control Centers for specific
functions. A deep transverse fissure = Central sulcus divides frontal and parietal lobes. General
Motor area lies in front of central sulcus and control voluntary movements of skeletal muscles.
The area just behind central sulcus is the general Sensory Area to receive sensory input.

18. It is the seat of intelligence, imagination, calculations or processing, emotions and memories.
Most of the times we use word brain to mean cerebrum.

19. Diencephalon: lies above the midbrain. It has the 3rd ventricle in it. Thalami are lateral thick
structures, in most people fuse with each other – inner mass. Thalami are the main Relay
Center. They receive sensory inputs from ascending tracts and pass it to specific parts of
Cerebral Cortex via Cerebral Radiations. Epithalamus is the thin roof and has Pineal Gland and
Choroid to secrete cerebrospinal fluid. Hypothalamus is the thin floor and is the main control
center for secretion of hormones and therefore controls metabolism. It has centers for body
temperature and fluid balance in body. Pituitary gland lies below it – lodged in Sella Turcica of
sphenoid bone of cranium.

20. Brain Stem has Mid Brain, Pons and Medulla .

21. Mid brain has 4 posterior protrusions – Corpora Quadrigemina; superior pair control visual
reflexes and inferior pair control auditory reflexes. 2 thick bands Cerebral peduncles lie on
 anterior side. A narrow Cerebral Aqueduct passes through mid brain and joins 3rd and 4th
ventricles.

22. Pons: is a thick band of nerve fibers and lie anterior to medulla oblongata. It joins the 2 sides of
cerebellum and also lower parts of brain to cerebrum. It has breathing center in it.

23. Medulla Oblongata: is the most inferior part of brain and is continuous with spinal cord. Medula
is superior to foramen magnum but spinal cord is inferior to it. 4th ventricle lies in medulla and
has choroid in posterior wall to secrete cerebrospinal fluid. It has many control centers
including the cardiac and breathing centers to regulate heart beat and rate of breathing.

24. Cerebellum is the 2nd largest part of brain and is responsible for maintaining body posture and
balance = equilibrium of body. It has a small central lobe = vermis and 2 lateral cerebellar
hemispheres. It has tree like branching pattern of gray and white matter in it.

25. Spinal Cord: has a narrow central canal lined with ependyma and filled with cerebrospinal fluid.
Gray matter lies around central canal and has 2 anterior and 2 posterior extensions = Horns. The
outer part is formed of white matter and has ascending and descending tracts in it.

26. Meninges: Dura mater, Arachnoid and Pia Mater cover, just like brain, Spinal Cord. Outside dura
mater epidural space is filled with fat and network of veins. Dura mater is not fused with bone
outside.

27. Peripheral Nervous System = Cranial nerves + Spinal nerves (and their ganglia).

28. Cranial Nerves – are 12 pairs and arise from brain and pass through cranium. Memory aid in
your text book is really good. On Occasion, Our Trusty Truck, Acts Funny – Very Good Vehicle
AnyHow. Capital letters represent 12 cranial nerves – OO, OTTAF – VGVAH. Fig 13.5a-b

29. Cranial nerves – Sensory cranial nerves – 1,2 and 8; Motor cranial nerves – 3, 4, 6 (eye ball
muscles), 11 and 12. Mixed cranial nerves – 5, 7, 9 and 10. Tongue – Sensory nerves = Anterior
2/3rd 7th-facial; posterior 1/3rd 9th –glossopharyngeal; motor nerve – 12th –hypoglossal. Vagus is
the only nerve to go past head and neck, it traverses to thorax, diaphragm, abdomen and
innervates larynx, heart, lungs, diaphragm, stomach, liver, kidneys, intestines, bladder and
testes/ovaries - uterus. Facial – 7th controls facial expression and supplies most of the muscles of
face, cranium and neck. Trigeminal – 5th collects information from most part of skin of face and
supplies muscles of mandible. 3rd, 7th, 9th and 10th cranial nerves carry Parasympathetic nerve
fibers in them. All are mixed except 3rd cranial nerves.

30. Spinal Nerves: 31 pairs of spinal nerves arise from spinal nerve cord.

31. Roots of Spinal nerve: Each spinal nerve has a dorsal root and bears dorsal root ganglion.
Dorsal root is sensory = affrent. Ventral root does not have a ganglion and is motor = efferent.
The 2 roots combine to form spinal nerve that passes out through a gap between bodies of
vertebra.
32. Rami of Spinal Nerve: each spinal nerve divides into a slender Dorsal Ramus – is sensory and
supplies the skin on back; a thick Ventral Ramus – is motor and supplies the lateral and anterior
sides of body. A 3rd very thin branch is Ramus Communicanis (rami communicanti) that joins to
lateral ganglion of Sympathetic cord.

33. 31 pairs: 8 Cervical, 12 thoraci, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral and 1 caudal.

34. Plexi: branches of spinal nerves (except T2 – T12) combine with branches of nearby spinal nerves
to form network = Plexus. Cerivical, brachial, lumbar, sacral and caudal plexi. Brachial plexus, Fig
13.9, gives rise to radial, median and ulnar nerves to arm. Sacral plexus, Fig 13.11, gives rise to
Sciatic – tibial and fibular branches, Posterior femoral and pudendal branches and also to gluteal
muscles.

35. Dermatome: is the part of skin innervated by a spinal nerve. Fig 13.12

36. Autonomic Nervous System: Fig 21.10 lab manual or Fig 14.5 text book.

Sympathetic = Thoracolumbar division Parasympathetic = Craniosacral division

1. Preganglionic neurons lie in lateral horns of 1. Preganglionic neurons lie in brain nuclei of
gray matter in thoraco-lumbar part of spinal cranial nerves and sacral part of spinal cord.
cord and enter lateral ganglia through spinal
nerves.

2. Thoraco-lumbar - Sympathetic trunks (T1- 2. Cranio-sacral – 3rd, 7th, 9th, 10th cranial nerves
T12 – L1-L5) and spinal nerve cord through 2nd, 3rd, 4th sacral
spinal nerves

3. Post ganglionic fibers are Adrenergic and 3. Post ganglionic fibers are Cholinergic and
secrete epinephrine formerly called adrenalin. secrete Acetylcholine.

4. Pre ganglionic fibers (before synapse) are 4. Pre ganglionic fibers are shorter than post
much longer than postganlionic fibers ganglionic fibers

5.fight or flight – response to unusual stimuli 5. maintains house-keeping activities,

(emergency, excitement, exercise, conserves energy, promotes digestion,
embarrassment), increases activity defecation and diuresis – passing out enough
urine