Name Class Date

CHAPTER 38 Nervous System

1 Structures of the Nervous System

SECTION

KEY IDEAS
As you read this section, keep these questions in mind:
• What is the function of the central nervous system?
• What are the two components of the peripheral nervous system?
• How is a spinal reflex generated?

READING TOOLBOX What Is the Central Nervous System?

Learn New Words As you Your nervous system consists of your brain, spinal
read this section, underline cord, and nerves. These structures are made of nervous
words you don’t know. tissue, which contains specialized cells called neurons.
When you figure out what
they mean, write the words A neuron is a cell that receives and transmits electrical
and their definitions in your signals.
notebook. There are two main parts of your nervous system:
the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous
system. The central nervous system includes the brain
and the spinal cord. It receives, interprets, and responds
READING CHECK to internal and external information.
1. Identify Which two
structures make up the STRUCTURE OF THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD
central nervous system?
Your brain is the organ that interprets information from the rest of your
body. Your brain also sends out signals that control the rest of your body.
The brain has several different parts.

The cerebrum is the

largest part of the brain.
It interprets information
from the rest of the
body. It also controls
most movements. The
left side of the cerebrum
controls the right side of
the body. The right side
of the cerebrum controls
the left side of the body.
The cerebellum controls
balance, posture,
and coordination. For
example, it interprets
information from
your body to help you
maintain your balance
while you walk.
2. Describe What is the The brainstem is located The spinal cord is a
function of the brainstem? at the bottom of the brain. thick column of neurons
It helps the body maintain that runs through the
homeostasis. For example, spine. It connects the
it controls heart rate and brain to most of the rest
breathing rate. of the body.

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SECTION 1 Structures of the Nervous System continued

What Is the Peripheral Nervous System?

The peripheral nervous system consists of sensory
neurons and motor neurons. Sensory neurons transmit
signals from sensory organs, such as the eyes and skin,
to the central nervous system. These signals are called
stimuli (singular, stimulus). READING CHECK
Motor neurons transmit messages from the central 3. Define What is a
nervous system to muscles and other organs. There are stimulus?
two main parts of the peripheral nervous system that
control motor neurons: the autonomic nervous system
and the somatic nervous system.
System Functions Background
Autonomic nervous controls cardiac and smooth (involuntary) Recall that a voluntary
system muscles; helps maintain homeostasis muscle is a muscle that you
Somatic nervous system controls skeletal (voluntary) muscles; responds can control. An involuntary
to signals from outside the body muscle is a muscle you
cannot control.

What Is a Reflex?
Have you ever touched something hot, and had your
hand jerk away quickly, without your even thinking
about it? This is an example of a reflex. A reflex is an
involuntary, very fast muscle contraction that is caused
by a stimulus. Spinal reflexes involve the peripheral Critical Thinking
nervous system and the spinal cord, but not the brain. 4. Infer Reflexes occur more
quickly than responses a
Spinal reflexes protect parts of the body from being person controls. What do you
harmed. The flowchart below describes an example of think is the reason for this?
how a spinal reflex occurs. (Hint: Which type of signal
has to travel farther?)
Your hand touches a hot object. This produces a signal in the sensory
neurons in your hand.

The signal travels from the sensory neurons to your spinal cord.

Your spinal cord produces a signal that travels through motor neurons to
your hand.

The signal in the motor neurons causes muscles in your arm to contract.
Your hand jerks away from the hot object.

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Section 1 Review
SECTION VOCABULARY
brain the mass of nerve tissue that is the main cerebrum the upper part of the brain that
control center of the nervous system receives sensation and controls movement
brainstem the stemlike portion of the brain that neuron a nerve cell that is specialized to receive
connects the cerebral hemispheres with the and conduct electrical impulses
spinal cord and that maintains the necessary peripheral nervous system all of the parts of
functions of the body, such as breathing and the nervous system except for the brain and
circulation the spinal cord (the central nervous system);
central nervous system the brain and the spinal includes the cranial nerves and nerves of the
cord; its main function is to control the flow of neck, chest, lower back, and pelvis
information in the body reflex an involuntary and almost immediate
cerebellum a posterior portion of the brain that movement in response to a stimulus
coordinates muscle movement and controls spinal cord a column of nerve tissue running
subconscious activities and some balance from the base of the brain through the
functions vertebral column

1. Describe What is the function of the central nervous system?

2. Apply Concepts The right side of a person’s cerebrum is damaged. What effect
could this have on the person? Explain your answer.

3. Infer What might happen to a person whose cerebellum is damaged? Explain

your answer.

4. Identify What are two functions of the autonomic nervous system?

5. Explain How might reflexes help protect parts of the body?

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CHAPTER 38 Nervous System

2 Neurons and Nerve Impulses

SECTION

KEY IDEAS
As you read this section, keep these questions in mind:
• What path do impulses follow when they move through a neuron?
• How is a nerve impulse generated?
• How do impulses travel through the nervous system?
• How do neurons communicate with each other?

What Is the Structure of a Neuron? READING TOOLBOX

Recall that a neuron is a cell that is specialized for Summarize As you read this
conducting impulses, or electrical signals. Each part of a section, sketch each figure in
neuron has a different function, as shown below. your notebook. In your own
words, summarize the main
ideas of each figure in your
sketches.
The Structure of a Neuron

Looking CLoser
1. Identify What does the
cell body of a neuron do?
Nucleus

The cell body Dendrites Axons also The ends of an

of the neuron extend from the extend from the axon are called
contains the cell body. They cell body. They axon terminals.
nucleus and receive impulses carry impulses
most of the
organelles.
from other cells. away from
the cell body,
Critical Thinking
The cell body toward other 2. Compare Give one
receives cells. Bundles of similarity and one difference
impulses from axons are called between axons and
the dendrites, nerves. dendrites.
processes them,
and passes them
on to the axons.

hb08ir_nrvs02001a
1st pass
11/17/06
dtrevino

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SECTION 2 Neurons and Nerve Impulses continued

How Do Impulses Travel Through a Neuron?

A signal from another neuron or the environment can
generate an impulse in a neuron. The impulse travels
through the neuron as a result of the movement of ions
READING CHECK across the neuron’s cell membrane.
3. Explain How is a nerve A cell has an electric charge on the inner surface of
impulse generated? its membrane. This charge is different from the charge
of the fluid outside the cell. The difference in electric
charge between the inside and outside of a cell is called a
membrane potential. Changes in a neuron’s membrane
potential allow the neuron to conduct electrical impulses.
Talk About It When a neuron is not conducting an impulse, its
Discuss Relationships How membrane potential is called the resting potential. When
are membrane potential, a neuron receives a signal, its membrane potential changes.
resting potential, and
action potential related? Sometimes, this change in membrane potential produces
With a partner, discuss the a nerve impulse, called an action potential.
similarities and differences
between them. Together, Resting Potential
think of a method to help
you remember what they are.
++ ++ + + + + + + + + +
– – – – – – – – – – – – –

– – – – – – – – – – – – –
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +

Axon (magnified)

When a neuron is not transmitting an impulse, the inside of the cell is

more negatively charged than the outside.
Action Potential
Action Potential
hb08ir_nrvs02002a
– – – – +++++++++
2nd pass ++++ – – – – – – – – –

11/21/06 ++++ – – – – – – – – –
– – – – +++++++++
ABeckmann

Looking CLoser ++++++ – – – – +++

– – – – – –++++ – – –
4. Describe What happens – – – – – –++++ – – –

during an action potential? ++++++– – – – +++

When a neuron receives a signal, ions move across the cell membrane.
Sometimes this causes part of the inside of the cell to become more
positively charged than the outside. This change in membrane potential
is called an action potential. It moves down the axon very quickly.
hb08ir_nrvs02003a
2nd pass
11/21/06
You may think that a strong stimulus produces a
ABeckmann

stronger action potential than a weak stimulus. However,

this is not the case. Every action potential is the same
strength.

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SECTION 2 Neurons and Nerve Impulses continued

How Do Neurons Communicate?

Neurons communicate with one another and with
other cells at synapses. A synapse is a place where
a neuron meets another cell. The other cell may be a
muscle cell, a gland, or another neuron. READING CHECK
A neuron does not touch the cells it communicates 5. Define What is a
with. Instead, chemicals called neurotransmitters carry synapse?
signals across synapses. The figure below shows how this
happens.
1 When an action
potential reaches
an axon terminal,
the axon releases
neurotransmitters
into the synapse.

Axon Direction of
action potential
Synapse

Neurotransmitter Axon
terminal

2 The neurotransmitters travel

across the synapse.
Looking CLoser
3 The neurotransmitters bind 6. Describe What happens
to receptors on the cell when an action potential
membrane of another cell.
This causes a response in reaches an axon terminal?
hb08ir_nrvs02004aa the other cell. For example,
2nd pass if the other cell is a neuron,
11/21/06 the neurotransmitters may
produce an impulse in it.

There are many types of neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters do not cause changes themselves.
They bind to receptors, and influence which ions will
flow across the cell membrane.
The effects of neurotransmitters do not last very long.
Cells reabsorb most neurotransmitters soon after they are
released. Enzymes break down other neurotransmitters.
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Interactive Reader 431 Nervous System
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Section 2 Review
SECTION VOCABULARY
action potential a sudden change in the polarity nerve a collection of nerve fibers through which
of the membrane of a neuron, gland cell, or impulses travel between the central nervous
muscle fiber that facilitates the transmission of system and other parts of the body
electrical impulses neurotransmitter a chemical substance that
axon an elongated extension of a neuron that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse
carries impulses away from the cell body synapse the junction at which the end of the
dendrite a cytoplasmic extension of a neuron axon of a neuron meets the end of a dendrite
that receives stimuli or the cell body of another neuron or meets
membrane potential the difference in electric another cell
charge between the two sides of a cell membrane

1. Explain What allows an impulse to travel through a neuron?

2. Compare How is a resting potential different from an action potential?

3. Identify What substances carry signals across synapses?

4. Describe Fill in the blank spaces in the figure below to show how an impulse can
travel from one neuron to another.

Neurotransmitters produce
an action potential in the

Neurotransmitters bind . The action potential travels to

to receptors in the cell
membrane of a
the
of the neuron.
.

When the action potential The

reaches the axon terminal, the processes the information and
The action potential produces an action potential
travels through the
releases neurotransmitters. in the .

to the axon terminal.

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