THE NERVOUS

SYSTEM: PARTS AND

FUNCTIONS
 NERVOUS SYSTEM

Connects all parts of the body and

transmits signals from one part to another
A system of cells, tissues, and organs that
regulates the body’s responses to internal
and external stimuli and each part of the
system has a specific role as it functions as
an important part of the system
 TWO COMPONENTS OF THE NERVOUS
SYSTEM

Central Nervous System (CNS)

- consists of the brain and the spinal cord
- receives and sorts out information
coming from the environment and
from
inside the body and determines the
appropriate action
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
- made up of nerves that extend through-
out the body
 - communication between the central
nervous system and the body tissues
take place through the nerve cells

two divisions of PNS

1.Somatic division – communicates with the
skin and skeletal muscles
2.Autonomic division – communicates with
the smooth muscles, heart muscles
and glands
 two groups of nerves in the autonomic
division

1. sympathetic nerves – speed up or

slow
down some body processes
2. parasympathetic nerves – opposite
effect on the same body processes
your nervous system

is divided into the central

nervous system (CNS)
which is the brain and
spinal cord
and the
peripheral nervous system
(PNS)
which connects everything
to the brain and spinal cord
 FUNCTIONS OF NERVOUS SYSTEM

It receives information from the

environment from the environment and
inside the body.

It interprets the information it receives.

It makes the body respond to the

information.
 PARTS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

THE BRAIN
- a mass of billions of neurons which are
surrounded by cells called glia that support and
supply them with nutrients
- located in the skull, which protects it from
physical injuries and protected by three layers
of tissues called meninges such as
1. inner layer – act as a wall that prevents
bacteria from reaching the brain
2. middle layer – supplies nutrients and
oxygen and cushion from shock
 3. outer layer – lines the inner surface
of
the skull

Three main parts of the BRAIN

1. Brain Stem – lowest section of the brain which
connects it to the spinal cord
- pathway for messages traveling
between some parts of the brain
and the spinal cord and connects
with 10 of the 12 cranial nerves
 Three parts of BRAIN STEM
1. medulla – controls involuntary activities
such as breathing and heart rate
2. pons – connects the major and sensory
nerves from the spinal cord,
medulla and cerebrum
3. midbrain – controls eye movements and
size of the pupil and coordinates
with sight and sound
THE CEREBELLUM
- at the back of the brain stem and is
linked to it by nerve tracts
- receive information from muscle
tendons
and balance organ in the inner ear
- concerned with the maintenance of
posture and balance and coordination of

movements
THE CEREBRUM
- largest part of the brain which is
consists
of billions of highly organized neurons

Four lobes or section of the CEREBRUM

1. frontal – speech and movement

2. temporal – hearing and smell
3. parietal – taste and
4. occipital - sight
THALAMUS – consists of two
egg-shaped masses of nerve
tissue which receive messages
from sensory neurons and send
them to specific areas in the
cerebrum where they are
interpreted
HYPOTHALAMUS – lies between the thalamus
and pituitary gland
- receives sensory messages such as
sight, sound, taste and smell
- controls the body’s temperature,
heartbeat, kidney functions as well as
hunger, thirst, and sleeping patterns
- maintain homeostasis
FUNCTION OF THE BRAIN
- body’s control center that
receives
messages from and sends
messages to all organs and
tissues
of the body
BREAK IT DOWN!
NERVOUS
SYSTEM
THE SPINAL CORD
- part of the central nervous system
- begins at the base of the skull and
extends throughout most of the
backbone or vertebral column
- is a cylinder of nerve tissue as thick as a
finger and about 45 cm long in which at
the center of the cord is the gray and
white matter that surrounds it
 gray matter – contains the cell bodies
of motor and connector neurons
white matter – contains the axons
and neurons that run lengthwise
through the spinal cord
- surrounded by membranes called
meninges
- link between the peripheral nervous
system and the brain where the nerve
tracts that make up the white matter in
the spinal cord are the pathways of
information to and from the brain.
 Reflex action – motor responses that
do
not come from the brain but
instead from the spinal cord

NEURONS
- also known as nerve cell which is
the basic unit of structure and
function of the nervous system
NEURONS
- also known as nerve cell which is
the basic unit of structure and
function of the nervous system
- carries information from one
place
in the body to another
 three types of neurons
1. sensory neurons – connects the sense
organs to the central nervous system
2. motor neurons – carry messages from
the central nervous system to
muscles and glands throughout the
body
3. interneurons – carry information
between two neurons
 three main parts of neurons
1. cell body – contains the nucleus
2. dendrites – tiny tube like branches that
extend from the cell body that
receive messages from the
environment and conduct them to
the cell
3. axon – also called nerve fiber
- conducts messages away from the
cell body
 axon knobs - tiny branches at the end of the
axon which stores and releases messages
from one neuron to another or to a muscle
or gland

synapse – very tiny space between them across

which a message is transmitted
The nervous system carries signals throughout the
body in the form of nerve impulses. A nerve impulse is a
not a flow of electricity but an electrochemical signal
moving along a neuron.
How is a nerve impulse be
transmitted?
 A signal or message is picked up by
dendrites of a neuron. The message travels
along the neuron. When the nerve impulse
reaches the end of the axon, it triggers the
knob on them. The knobs release a chemical
called neurotransmitter. This chemical
passes across the synapse to reaches the
dendrites of the next neuron, pass across the
synapse to the neuron, and so on.
 HOW THE NERVOUS SYSTEM WORKS

Situation #1
Suppose you see a plate of fried
chicken on the table and smell its
aroma Your mouth begins to water and
you walk to the table, get a piece of
chicken and eat it. How does your
nervous system work in this situation?
 The light reflected by the fried chicken
stimulates the sensory receptors in your eyes. The
nerve impulse travels from one sensory neuron to
another until it reaches the area of the brain
concerned with sight. This area interprets what you
see is fried chicken.
At the same time, the sensory receptors in
your nose are stimulated by chemicals in the aroma
of the fried chicken. The nerve impulse travels from
neuron to neuron to the area of the brain concerned
with smell. This area interprets the message as: “It
smells delicious. It must taste good!
 FROM THE CNS TO MOTOR NEURONS

Within the brain, interneurons

integrate and interpret the information
received from one or more sensory
neurons. Then they relay the
appropriate response message to
motor neurons leading to different body
organs.
 FROM MOTOR NEURONS TO BODY
ORGANS

The area of the brain concerned with

smell sends a command through motor
neurons down the spinal cord to the salivary
glands to produce saliva. So your mouth
waters. Commands are also sent to your leg
and arm muscles to contract. So you walk to
the table, get a piece of the chicken and eat
it. The chemicals in the fried chicken
stimulate your taste receptors.
The nerve impulse travels from
neuron to neuron to the area of the
brain concerned with taste. The brain
interprets the message as “The food is
good. Enjoy it.” And so you eat the
fried chicken with to much gusto.
 HOW THE NERVOUS SYSTEM WORKS

Situation #2
When you run a race, you breathe
faster and heartbeat speeds up. Why?
SIGNAL RELAY
Assignment:

What are the different illnesses or diseases of

nervous system? Search in the google at least 5.
Read and understand its description, symptoms, and
treatment.
Thank you…