Organization of The Nervous System

●
●
●
●
Introduction Sensory input

The functions of the nervous system

Stimulus Receptor
1. Collection of sensory input: Identifies changes occurring inside
or outside the body by using sensory receptors. These changes
are called stimuli.
2. Integration: Processes, analyzes , and interprets these changes Integration
and makes decisions. Motor output
3. Motor output: response by activating muscles or glands
(effectors).

The classification of the nervous system

Effector

Classification

Structural classification Functional classification

(Anatomical) (Physiological)

Central Peripheral Sensory division Motor division

NS NS (Afferent) (Efferent)

3
Types of organizations in the nervous system
Structural Organization

1) Central Nervous System (CNS): 2) Peripheral Nervous System (PNS):

● Consists of Brain & Spinal cord ● Consists of nerves, ganglia,
● Occupies the dorsal body receptors.
cavity. ● It is the part of the nervous system
● Acts as the integrating and outside the CNS. (outside dorsal
command centers. body cavity.)

Functional Organization

1) Sensory (Afferent division): 2) Motor (Efferent division):

● Consists of nerve fibers that ● Consists of nerve fibers that
convey impulses from receptors convey impulses from the CNS to
located in various parts of the the effector muscles, organs, and
body, to the CNS. glands.

The Motor division is further subdivided into:

● Somatic division: concerned with skin, skeletal muscles and joints.
● Autonomic division: concerned with the visceral organs.
According to the female’s doctor and slides “sensory also has both somatic and Autonomic division “

4
The Nervous system
● Major controlling, regulatory & communicating system in the body.
● It is the center of all mental activity including : Thought, Learning,
Behavior and Memory.
● Responsible for regulating and maintaining homeostasis together
with the endocrine system.

Nervous tissues
● Nervous system is composed of nervous tissue, which contains
two types of cells: neurons and neuroglia (glial cells).
● Nervous system contains millions of neurons that vary in their
shape, size, and number of processes.

Nervous tissue is organized as

Gray matter White matter

Which contains: Which contains:

1. Processes of the neurons 1. Processes of the neurons
2. Neuroglia 2. Neuroglia
3. Blood vessels 3. Blood vessels
4. cell bodies of neurons 4. NO cell bodies in the white
matter.

5
Types of cells in nervous tissue:
1) Nerve cell (Neuron): Basic structural/anatomical, functional and
embryological unit of the nervous system.
Human nervous system estimated to contain about 1010.
2) Supporting cell (Glial cell): makes the other major cellular component of the
nervous tissue. A specialized connective tissue supporting framework for
the nervous system, unlike neurons, neuroglia DO NOT have a direct role in
information processing but they are essential for the normal functioning of
the neurons, they act as supporting and nutrition for neurons.

Neuron contains:
● Cell body (soma)

● Dendrites: short processes of the cell body with variable numbers which are
receptive in function.

● Axon: processes leaving the cell body which carries information away from the
cell body. They’re highly variable in length and may divide into several Axon
collaterals through which information can be distributed to a number of
different destinations. could be covered by myelin or neurilemma

● Terminal buttons: specializations occurs at the end of the axon, Here

information is transferred to the dendrites of other neurons.

● Synapse/relay: it’s the junction site of two neurons, the membranes of adjacent
cells are in close apposition (contiguity=contact, not continuity).

6
Differences between the terms in the CNS & PNS:

Central nervous system (CNS)

Nucleus Tract

A group of neurons within A group of nerve fibers

the CNS (axons) within the CNS

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Ganglion Nerve

A group of neurons outside A group of nerve fibers

the CNS (axons) outside the CNS

● Spinal nerves supplying the upper or lower limbs form

plexuses e.g. brachial/lumbar plexus.

7
Autonomic Nervous System
Autonomic Nervous System

● Neurons that detect changes and control the activity of the

viscera.
● Its components are present in both the central and
peripheral nervous systems.
● It innervates: smooth muscles,cardiac muscle,secretory
glands.
● It is an important part of the homeostatic mechanisms that
control the internal environment of the body with the
endocrine system.

Sympathetic Parasympathetic
(Thoracolumbar outflow) (Craniosacral outflow)

● Divisions are generally have antagonistic effects on the

structures that they innervate.
● E.g. Sympathetic increases the heart rate, while the
parasympathetic decreases the heart rate.

8
Parts of The Brain: (Cerebrum, Cerebellum, Brainstem, Diencephalon)
Cerebral hemispheres Tissue of Cerebral hemispheres
● The largest part of the brain. ● The outer layer is the gray matter or cortex.
● Composed of 2 hemispheres connected by a thick
● Deeper is located the white matter or medulla,
bundle of nerve fibers (corpus callosum)
● They have elevations, called gyri that are composed of bundles of nerves and fibers carrying
separated by depressions called sulci. impulses to and from the cortex.
● Each hemisphere is divided into 4 lobes named ● Basal nuclei are gray matter that are located deep
according to the bone above. within the white matter to help the motor cortex in
● Lobes are separated by deeper grooves called regulation of voluntary motor activities.
fissures or sulci.

9
Parts of The Brain Cont. Brainstem
● It is connected to the cerebellum with 3
paired peduncles superior, middle and
inferior.
● The brainstem has three parts:
1. Midbrain.
Cerebellum 2. Pons.
3. Medulla oblongata.
● Cerebellum has 2 cerebellar
hemispheres with convoluted surface.
● It has an outer cortex of gray matter
and an inner region of white matter.
● It provides precise coordination for body Diencephalon
movements and helps maintain
equilibrium.
● The diencephalon is located between the
2 cerebral hemispheres and is linked to
them and to the brainstem.
● The major structures of the
diencephalon are:
1. Thalamus
2. Hypothalamus
3. Subthalamus
4. Epithalamus.

10
Meninges
● There are three connective tissue membranes invest
the brain and the spinal cord, from outward to inward:
1. Dura matter.
2. Arachnoid matter.
3. Pia matter.

Brain ventricles
● Brain is bathed by the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
● Inside the brain, there are 4 ventricles filled with CSF.
● The 4 ventricles are:
- 2 lateral ventricles: One in each hemispheres.
- 3rd ventricle: in the Diencephalon.
- 4th ventricle: between Pons, Medulla
oblongata & Cerebellum, and it is continuous with
central canal of spinal cord.

● Cerebral aqueduct: in the mid brain

connects the 3rd to the 4th ventricle.
11
Cerebrospinal fluid
● CSF is constantly produced by the choroid
plexuses inside the ventricle.

● Inside the brain, CSF flows from the lateral

ventricles to the 3rd and 4th ventricles

● From the 4th ventricle, part of the CSF

flows down in the central canal of the
spinal cord.

● Most of the CSF drains from the 4th

ventricle to distribute in the subarachnoid
space around the brain and returns to the
dural venous sinuses through the
arachnoid villi.

12
 ●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
● ●
●
●