PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION
The two principle divisions of the nervous system are the central nervous system (CNS) and
peripheral nervous system (PNS).The CNS consists of brain and spinal cord, integrates and
correlates many different kinds of incoming sensory information. The CNS is also the source of
thoughts, emotions and memories. The components of peripheral nervous system (PNS) are
subdivided into a somatic nervous system (SNS) and autonomic nervous system (ANS). The
SNS is voluntary. The SNS consists of sensory neurons and motor neurons.
✓​ Sensory neurons: They convey information from somatic receptors in the head, body
wall, limbs and from receptors of special senses of vision, hearing, taste and smell to the CNS.
✓​ Motor neurons: They conduct impulses from the CNS to skeletal
muscles. The ANS is involuntary.
The ANS consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic division.
✓​ Sensory neuron: They convey information from autonomic sensory receptors, located
primarily in visceral organs such as stomach and lungs to the CNS.
Motor neuron: They conduct nerve impulses from the CNS to smooth muscles, cardiac muscles
and glands.

Organization of the nervous system

 Functional components of nervous system
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
The peripheral nervous system consists of somatic nervous system (SNS) and autonomic nervous
system (ANS). Somatic nervous system consists of sensory neurons and motor neurons. Sensory
neurons convey message from periphery to the CNS. These sensations include sensations of
pain, temperature, taste, smell, hearing and vision, etc. Motor neurons innervate the skeletal
muscles and leads to voluntary movements. The autonomic or involuntary part of the nervous
system which controls the autonomic function of the body
It consists of two types of neurons:
✓​Autonomic sensory neuron
✓​Autonomic motor neuron
Autonomic Sensory Neuron (afferent): These neurons are associated with interceptors which
are sensory receptors located in blood vessels, visceral organs and muscles. Sensory neurons are
responsible for receiving information form sensory receptor to the central nervous system
Autonomic Motor Neuron (efferent): These regulate visceral activities by either increases or
decreases in ongoing activities in their effector tissues (cardiac muscle, smooth muscles or
glands). E.g. Change in diameter of pupil, dilation or constriction of blood vessels, adjusting the
rate and force of heart rate.
Divisions of Autonomic Nervous System:
The autonomic nervous system is separated into two divisions:
✓​Sympathetic (Thoraco lumbar outflow) division
✓​Parasympathetic (Cranio sacral outflow) division
These two divisions have both structural and functional differences. They normally work in
opposite manner. Each division has two motor neurons and autonomic ganglia and effector
organs.
These are;
Pre-ganglionic neurons: The first motor neurons which lies before the ganglion is called as pre-
ganglionic neuron. The myelinated axon is called as pre-ganglionic fiber.
Post-ganglionic neurons: The second motor neuron which lies after the ganglion and terminates
in the effector organ is called as post-ganglionic neuron. Its axon is called as post-ganglionic
fibers.
The autonomic ganglion is the collection of cell bodies outside the CNS.

Sympathetic Division
It is called as thoracic lumbar division.
It consists of two types of autonomic ganglia.
✓​Sympathetic trunk ganglia
✓​Prevertebral ganglia
Sympathetic Trunk Ganglia:
These are the ganglia lie in a vertical row on either side of the vertebral column.
These lies close to the spinal cord and therefore the pre-ganglionic fibers are short.
Prevertebral Ganglia:
These are two types of ganglion:
✓​Coeliac ganglion
✓​Superior mesenteric ganglion
✓​ Inferior mesenteric ganglionPeripheral Nervous
System These are the ganglion situated close to the
abdominal cavity.
Most of the ganglia of sympathetic trunk a term effector organs are arranged on both sides of the
spinal cord.
Ganglia are close to the CNS and distant from effector organs.
The pre-ganglionic nerve fibres are shorter.
The post-ganglionic nerve fibres are longer.
The pre-ganglionic neurotransmitter is acetylcholine.
Most of the post-ganglionic nerve fibres are adrenergic.
The targeted receptors are mostly adrenergic.
These are distributed throughout the body.

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Divisions

Parasympathetic Division
It is called as craniosacral division.
It contains parasympathetic ganglia.
The parasympathetic ganglia are dispersed.
The ganglia are near or within the wall of the visceral effectors.
The pre-ganglionic nerve fibres are large.
The post-ganglionic nerve fibres are shorter.
The pre-ganglionic nerve fibres are acetylcholine.
Most of the postganglionic nerve fibres are
cholinergic. The targeted receptors are mostly
cholinergic.
The distribution is limited, particularly to heart, viscera of thorax, abdomen and pelvis.
CRANIAL NERVES
There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves originating from the nuclei in the inferior surface of the
brain.
Some are sensory, some are motor and some are mixed.
Their names and numbers are as follows:

Types of Cranial Nerves

Olfactory Nerves:
It is sensory type of nerve with afferent fiber. It originates in the olfactory lobe i.e. root of nose
and terminates in the temporal lobe of cerebrum. It is associated with sense of smell.
Optic Nerves:
It is sensory type of nerve with afferent fibre. It originates in the retina of eyes and terminates in
the vision area of occipital lobe of cerebrum. It is related with sense of vision
Oculomotor Nerves:
It is mixed type of nerve with efferent as well as afferent fiber, but primarily it is motor
originates in the mid-brain.
✓​ Efferent (motor) portion: It innervates skeletal muscles it moves the eyeball and
innervates smooth muscles that constrict pupil and lens shape for far and near vision.
✓​ Afferent (sensory) portion: It is related to movement of eyeball and regulating the size of
pupil.
Trochlear Nerves:
It is mixed type of nerve but primarily motor and originates in the midbrain. It is the smallest of
the 12 cranial nerves. The motor portion is related to movement of eyeball and sensory vision
carries information from muscles of eye to midbrain.
Trigeminal Nerves:
It is a mixed type of nerve fibre. It is the largest among all the cranial nerves. The motor portion
originates from pons and innervates the muscles of mastication (skeletal chewing muscles).The
sensory portion consists of three branches:
Ophthalmic nerve: It contains axons from skin of eyelids, eyeball, lacrimal glands, nasal cavity,
nose, and forehead.
Maxillary nerve: It contains axons from the mucosa of nose, parts of pharynx, upper teeth, upper
lip, and lower eyelid.
Mandibular nerve: It contains axon from tongue, lower teeth, skin over mandible, cheek.
Motor function: Chewing.
Sensory function: Conveys impulses for touch, pain and temperature.
Abducens Nerve:
A mixed type of nerve, but 1° motor that originates in the pons. The motor portion innervates the
skeletal muscles that move eyeball. The sensory portion transmits information from
proprioceptors in muscles. It is related to the movement of eyeball and muscles sense
(proprioception).
Motor function: Movement of eyeball
Sensory function: Proprioception
Facial Nerve
It is a mixed type of nerve. The motor fibre originates from pons and innervates skeletal muscle
of face, nose, palate, lacrimal and salivary gland. The sensory fibre transmits information from
taste buds in the tongue and mouth.
Motor function: Facial expression
Sensory function: Proprioception and taste
Vestibulocochlear Nerve:
It is sensory type of nerve transmits information from receptor in ear. It consists of two nerves:
✓​ Vestibular nerve: It arises from semicircular canals of the inner ear and conveys
impulses to the cerebellum. They are associated with maintenance of posture and balance.
✓​ Cochlear nerve: It originates in the spiral organ in the inner ear and conveys impulses to
the hearing area of cerebral cortex. Cochlear nerve is responsible for hearing.
Glossopharyngeal Nerve:
It is a mixed type of nerve.The motor fibres originate from medulla oblongata and innervate the
tongue andpharynx. The sensory fibres originate from salivary glands and terminate in medulla
oblongata.
Motor function: Elevates the pharynx during swallowing and speech.
Sensory function: Taste sensations, touch, pain and temperature sensations, monitoring of blood
pressure.

Vagus Nerve:
It is a motor type of nerve.The motor fibres originates in the medulla and innervates the smooth
muscles of pharynx, larynx, trachea, heart oesophagus, stomach, intestine, pancreas, gall bladder,
bile duct, spleen, kidney, ureter, blood vessels in thoracic and abdominal cavities.The sensory
fibres convey impulses from same organs to brain.
Motor function: Swallowing, coughing and voice production.
Sensory function: Taste, touch, pain and temperature sensations, monitoring of blood pressure
Accessory Nerve:
It is mixed type of nerve, primarily motor nerve. It originates from medulla oblongata and in the
spinal cord. It originates from medulla oblongata and innervates the voluntary muscles of
pharynx and skeletal muscle of neck.
Motor function: Neck controls swallowing movements and movement of head and shoulders.

Hypoglossal Nerve:
It is mixed type of nerve but primarily motor nerve. It originates in the medulla and supplies to
the muscle of tongue. The sensory function is gives sensation to tongue.
Sensory function: Proprioception
Motor function: Movement of tongue during speech and swallowing
 Origin of Cranial nerves
SPINAL NERVES
There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves that leave the vertebral canal by passing through the
intervertebral foramina formed by adjacent vertebrae. They are named and grouped according to
the vertebrae with which they are associated.
✓​8 Cervical
✓​12 Thoracic
✓​5 Lumbar
5 Sacral
1 Coccygeal
Even though there are only seven cervical vertebrae, eight cervical nerves are present because
the first pair leaves the vertebral canal between the occipital bone and the atlas and the eighth
pair leaves beneath the last cervical vertebra. The lumbar, sacral and coccygeal nerves leave the
spinal cord near its termination at the level of first lumbar vertebra, and extend downwards inside
the vertebral canal in the subarachnoid space, forming horse's tail like structure called as Cauda
equina. A typical spinal nerve has two connections to the cord: Posterior root and anterior root.
Anterior Nerve Root:
It consists of motor nerve fibres which are the axons of the nerve cells in the anterior column of
grey matter in the spinal cord and, in the thoracic and lumbar regions, sympathetic nerve fibres
which are the axons of cells in the lateral columns of grey matter.
Posterior Nerve Root:
It consists of sensory nerve fibres. Just outside the spinal cord there is a spinal ganglion
(posterior root ganglion), consisting of a little cluster of cell bodies. Sensory nerve fibres pass
through these ganglia before entering the spinal cord. The posterior and anterior roots unite to
form a spinal nerve at the intervertebral foramen. Because the posterior root contains sensory
axons and the anterior root contains motor axons, as spinal nerve is classified as a mixed nerve.
The posterior root contains a posterior root ganglion in which cell bodies of sensory neurons are
located. After leaving the spinal cord the nerve roots have a covering of dura and arachnoid
matters. These terminate before the two roots join to form the mixed spinal nerve. The nerve
roots do not have the pia matter covering. After emerging from the intervertebral foramen each
spinal nerve divides into a ramus communicans, a posterior ramus and an anterior ramus. The
rami communicans are part of preganglionic sympathetic neurons of the autonomic nervous
system. The posterior rami pass backwards and divide into medial and lateral branches to supply
skin and muscles of relatively small areas of the posterior aspect of the head, neck and trunk. The
anterior rami supply the anterior and lateral aspects of the neck, trunk and the upper and lower
limbs. In the cervical, lumbar and sacral regions the anterior rami unite near their origins to form
plexuses (large masses of nerves), where nerve fibres are regrouped and rearranged before
proceeding to supply skin, bones, muscles and joints of a particular area. There are five large
plexuses of mixed nerves formed on each side of vertebral column.
They are as follows;
Cervical plexuses: It is formed by the anterior rami of the first four cervical nerves.
Brachial plexuses: The anterior rami of the lower four cervical nerves and a large part of the
first thoracic nerve form the brachial plexus.
Lumbar plexuses: It is formed by the anterior rami of the first three and part of the fourth
lumbar nerves.
Sacral plexuses: It is formed by the anterior rami of the lumbosacral trunk and the first, second
and third sacral nerves.
Coccygeal plexuses: The coccygeal plexus is a very small plexus formed by part of the fourth
and fifth sacral and the coccygeal nerves.
Relationship between sympathetic and mixed spinal nerves

Covering of Spinal Cord, Spinal Nerves and Plexuses