SSIP April – May 2020

LIFE SCIENCES
Topic(s) : Nervous System
Venue:

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SSIP AIMS/GOALS
The four interconnected outcomes that drive the professional development
activities for SSIP are:
1. Enhancing Teachers knowledge: deep understanding of subject matter
knowledge and students ideas on the content
2. Enhancing quality teaching and assessment for learning: effective
instructional approaches that teachers may use to ensure improved
understanding by most learners.
3. Developing ICT integration skills :Use of ICT to improve teaching and
learning
4. Building professional learning communities: allow teachers to start
collaborating and form professional networks in non-formal settings in
context of their schools

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PROGRAMME
DAY THREE
SESSION TIME ALLOCATION ACTIVITY RESOURCES

Module 2:
Unit 1: Structure and functions of the parts of the human eye,
using a diagram.
Unit 2: Binocular vision and its importance.
Unit 3: Changes that occur in the human eye during
accommodation and pupillary reflex, using diagrams.
Unit 4: The nature and treatment of visual defects, using Course material
SESSION diagrams.
08:00 – 10:30 Power point
Activity 2.1 – 2.6
ONE
Video clips
Module 3:

Unit 1: Structure of the human ear and the functions of the

different parts, using a diagram.
Unit 2: Functioning of the human ear in hearing and balance.
Unit 3: The nature and treatment of hearing defects.
Activity 3.1 – 3.3

10:30 – 10:45 TEA BREAK

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ATP FOR TERM 2

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ATP FOR TERM 2

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 MODULE 2
Overview of Module 2
In this module we will look at the concept of ‘The Human nervous system ’
Content
You will study this module through the following units:
Unit 1: Responding to the environment and coordination of activities
in the body
Unit 2: Structure of the Nervous System
Unit 3: Structure of the Central Nervous System
Unit 4: Location and functions of the Peripheral Nervous System
Unit 5: Location and functions of the Autonomic Nervous System
Unit 6: Structure and functioning of a nerve
Unit 7: Structure and function of a simple reflex arc
Unit 8: Disorders of the CNS

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OUTCOMES OF THIS MODULE

Statement of the learning outcomes/objectives

When you complete this module you will be able to:
• Identify the different parts of the nervous system
• Identify the different structures of the brain.
• Describe the functions of the different parts.
• Draw and label the parts of the reflex arc.
• Briefly explain the events occurring during a reflex action.
• Carryout an investigation on reaction time.

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The nervous
system
 Nervous co-ordination

• To survive, all organisms need to be able to sense changes in their

environment and to control their responses to these changes.
• The nervous system and the endocrine system are important
communication systems that co-ordinate, intergrade and carry out
the activity of body cells, tissues, organs and the organism.
• They maintain a constant internal balance, while reacting to the
changes that occur in both the external and internal environment
 The Nervous system
How does our nervous system work?

Stimulus Response

Receptor Effector

Sensory neuron Motor neuron

Central
Nervous
system
Reaction to stimuli in the environment
• The nervous system and sense • The nervous system in vertebrates
organs play an important part in performs five main functions
picking up stimuli, gathering 1. Gathers information using the
information and responding senses
quickly to changes from both the
external and internal environment 2. Transmits information to
to maintain a constant state processing areas of the brain
3. Processes information
4. Formulates responses to stimuli
5. Sends information back through
the network of effector organs
to execute the response

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Activity 2.1 Reaction time
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 NERVOUS
SYSTEM

CNS PNS ANS

CENTAL NERVOUS PERIPHERAL AUTONOMIC

SYSTEM NERVOUS SYSTEM NERVOUS SYSTEM
• Brain • cranial nerves • Nerves that branch
• Spinal cord • Spinal nerves off the CNS
• Consists of • Unipolar& bipolar • E.g. Vagus nerve
multipolar neurons neurons
• Aka connector / • Aka sensory &
interneurons motor neurons
 Nervous system

Central Peripheral
nervous nervous
system system

Spina Sensory Motor

Brain l pathways pathways
cord

Somatic Autonomic
(voluntary) (involuntary)
nervous system nervous system

Sympathetic Parasympathetic
division division
 The Brain

External structure of the brain Internal structure of the brain

Brain structure
Cerebrum

cerebellum
hypothalamus

Pituitary gland
Medulla oblongata
 Structure of the brain and the functions
Cerebrum
• Controls voluntary Corpus callosum
actions • Connects the left and
• Receives and interprets right hemispheres of
sensations from sense the brain – allowing
organs communication between
• Higher thought both hemispheres
processes
Cerebellum
Hypothalamus • Coordinates all voluntary
• Control centre for hunger, movements
thirst, sleep, body • Controls muscle
temperature and emotions tension to maintain
Medulla oblongata balance
• Transmits nerve impulses between
the spinal cord and the brain
• Controls involuntary actions such as
heartbeat and breathing
 The Spinal Cord
• The spinal cord is inside the vertebral canal and is an extension of the brain
Protection: vertebrae, meninges and cerebrospinal fluid.
• From each side of the cord 31 pairs of spinal nerves arise from ventral and
dorsal roots.
• Function:
• The spinal cord is the pathway for all impulses conducted to and from the
brain.
• The grey matter lies on the inside in the shape of an ‘H’
• The white matter lies on the outside (opposite to the cerebrum).
• The spinal cord processes all reflex actions.
• The spinal cord functions automatically and is not controlled by the will.
• Sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve impulses are conducted along
the spinal cord to all organs.
 Activity 2.2
1.5. 1.5.1 (a) spinal cord ✓ (1)
(b) corpus collosum ✓ (1)

1.5.2 (a) D ✓ Cerebellum ✓ (2)

(b) B ✓ Medulla oblongata ✓ (2)
(c) E ✓ Cerebellum ✓ (2)
(8)

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Peripheral nervous system
• The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is all the
nervous tissue outside the central nervous system
(CNS).
• It is divided into the somatic nervous system and
autonomic nervous system and is made of 43 pairs of
nerves:
• 12 pairs of cranial nerves
• 31 pairs of spinal nerves
• Function: the somatic nervous system received
information from receptors and conveys the
information to the CNS.
• It also transmits the impulses from the CNS to
effector organs
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AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
• The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls the heart rate, breathing,
digestion and gland functions e.g. salivary glands secreting saliva
• The autonomic nervous system HAS two branches.
• The sympathetic branch prepares the body for energy-expending, stressful,
or emergency situations.
• The parasympathetic branch is active under ordinary, restful conditions
• The two systems have an opposite effect: one stimulates, the other inhibits i.
e. each organ in the body is innervated by the sympathetic nerve and
parasympathetic nerve.
• This is known as double innervation
• E.g. the sympathetic nerve causes the iris to dilate and the parasympathetic
nerve causes the iris to constrict
Autonomic nervous system
 Sympathetic branch Parasympathetic
branch
1. Increases heart rate 1. Decreases heart rate

2. Relaxes walls of 2. Contracts wall of

bladder bladder
3. Dilates pupils 3. Constricts pupils

4. Constricts many 4. Dilates arteries

arteries
5. Increases blood 5. Decreases blood
pressure pressure
Neurons – nerve
cells
• Neurons are specialized cells which
connect the brain and spinal cord to
all other parts of the body.
• Each neuron has the following parts:
1. Cell body
2. Dendrites
3. Axon
• The dendrites always carry the
impulse to the cell body and the axon
always carries the impulse away from
the cell body
Axon
 Neurons
• Axons and dendrites may be
myelinated i.e. they have a fatty layer
wrapped around them, which acts as
insulation

• Bundles of neurons form nerves

Types of neurons
cell body
sensory neuron
cell body

axo
n interneuron
dendrite
s dendrite
cell
s
body

motor neuron
• Sensory neurons
• afferent neurons Functional neurons
• carry impulses to CNS
• either unipolar or bipolar
• sensitive to stimuli in the environment
• Connector/inter neurons
• receive impulse from sense organs
• always multipolar
• integrates or analyses information
• effects a response
• Motor neurons
• efferent neurons
• carry impulses away from CNS
• always multipolar
• effect a response
 Fun facts about neurons
• Most specialized cell in animals
• Nervous system allows for 1
millisecond response time
• Longest cell
• Blue whale neuron - 10-30
meters
• Giraffe neuron - 5 meters
• Human neuron -1-2 meters
 A reflex arc

• The nerve pathway taken in a reflex action is

called a reflex arc.
• The nervous message goes to the spinal cord,
then a message passes from the spinal cord
directly to an effector to give an immediate
response.
Give observable reasons of why the impulse travels from the top right in an arc to the bottom right.
A reflex arc
Describe the reflex
action taking place in
the picture.

What is the difference

between a reflex arc
and a reflex action?
 Activity Questions
1. Identify the parts 1, 2
and 5. (3)
2. What will the effect
3 muscle on the body be if part 5 is
1 hamm
5 er
damaged?
(1)
3. Describe the reflex action
shown in the diagram. (10)
4. Draw and label the type of
2 neuron as indicated by
number 4 .
Organ Spinal cord Right leg
(5)
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Human Nervous system – MEMO
2.1
1 - cerebrum/ brain ✓ Answers
2 - medulla oblongata ✓ 2.4
5 – cerebellum ✓ (3) Motor neuron
2.2 Lack of muscle control✓ /lack of co-ordination/ bad posture/
upset equilibrium Any (1)
2.3
• Hammer strikes the knee ✓
• stimulating the touch corpuscles ✓ /receptors.
• This causes an impulse to be transmitted along the dorsal root ✓ to
the dorsal horn
• where the sensory neuron ✓
• makes a synapse with an interneuron. ✓
• It moves along the motor neuron in the ventral horn , along the
ventral root ✓
• to the effector √, the muscles in the leg. ✓ Caption ✓
• The leg is raised upwards. ✓ (10) Correct diagram ✓
Any 3 correct labels ✓ ✓
✓
(5)
The Synapse
• A synapse is the point where an
impulse passes from the terminal
branch of the axon one neuron to
the dendrite of the next neuron.
• The neurons NEVER touch each
other.
• The gap between the two neurons is
called the synaptic gap.
• Chemical neurotransmitters such as
acetylcholine/dopamine/serotonin
help to transmit the impulse from
one neuron to the next across the
synaptic gap.
Significance of a synapse
• Ensures that the impulse travels in one direction
• At the synapse a nerve impulse can either be speeded up slowed
down or blocked
• Therefore it enables unnecessary or unimportant background stimuli
be filtered out
• Channels impulses so that reactions are integrated and become part
of learning and memory
 Diseases of the Nervous system
• Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia
• Usually affecting people over 65, although some people may develop early-onset AD.
• Characterized by a loss of neurons and synapses in the cortex of the brain, as well as the presence
of clumps of proteins (amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers
• There is no cure for the disease, which is progressive and eventually leads to death
• Cause: unknown
• Symptoms: the loss of brain function results in
• slower thinking
• behaviour changes
Dementia: general term used for
• confusion about events, time and place memory loss and loss of other
• Difficulty recognizing people the know intellectual abilities
• Difficulty speaking, swallowing and walking
• Cure: none
• Researchers are trying to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset and prevent it from developing
• Stem-cell research and therapeutic cloning hold great potential for providing a cure for Alzheimer’s disease

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Diseases of the Nervous system
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive, degenerative disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain, optic
nerve and spinal cord.
• MS commonly occurs between the ages of 20 – 40 and affects more women than men.
• Multiple sclerosis means ‘many scars’, resulting in damage to the axon-coating myelin sheath of nerve cells in communication
pathways.
• Scattered patches of demyelination in the pathways make it impossible for messages to move these hard areas.
• Cause: auto-immune disease
• Symptoms: MS affects: Normal
• Movement, feeling and co-ordination and balance neuron
• Vision, tingling and numbness, muscle weakness and spasms,
• Fatigue
• Bladder and bowel problems
• Pain
• Concentration and memory loss
• Mood swings Neuron
affected by
• Cure: none Multiple
sclerosis
• Management strategies :
• Healthy lifestyle
• Stem-cell research and biologically engineered production of interferons slow down the progress of the disease

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