Chapter Two
The Anatomy and Evolution
of the Nervous System
CHAPTER 2
THE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTION OF THE
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Anatomical Directions
Rostral or anterior
Head end of four legged animal
Caudal or posterior
Tail end of four legged animal
Inferior or ventral
Towards the belly
Superior or dorsal
Towards the back
Planes of Section
Coronal (frontal)
Sagittal
Horizontal (axial)
Figure 2.1 Anatomical Directions
Figure 2.2 Planes of Section
Protecting and Supplying the Nervous
System
Meninges
Three layers of meninges provide protection
Cerebrospinal Fluid
Secreted in hollow spaces in the brain known as
ventricles
Circulates through ventricles, subarachnoid
space, and central canal of the spinal cord
Blood Supply
Brain receives nutrients through the carotid
arteries and vertebral arteries
Figure 2.3 The Skull and Three Layers
of Membrane Protect the Brain
Figure 2.5 Cerebrospinal Fluid
Circulates Through the Ventricles,
Spinal Cord and Subarachnoid Space
Figure 2.7 The Brain Has a Generous
Supply of Blood
Figure 2.8 The Organization of the
Nervous System
The Central Nervous System
The Spinal Cord
Extends from medulla to the first lumbar vertebra
The Hindbrain
The myelencephalon (medulla)
The metencephalon (pons and cerebellum)
The Midbrain
The mesencephalon
Figure 2.9 The Anatomy of the Spinal
Cord
Figure 2.10 Structures of the Brain
Stem
Table 2.1 Some Important Structures of
the Brainstem
Figure 2.11 The Internal Structure of
the Midbrain
The Central Nervous System
The Forebrain
The Thalamus and Hypothalamus of the
Diencephalon
The Basal Ganglia
The Limbic System
The Cortex
Lobes of the cortex
Localization of function in the cortex
Figure 2.12 The Thalamus and
Hypothalamus of the Diencephalon
Figure 2.13 The Basal Ganglia Are
Located Deep Within the Cerebral
Hemispheres
Figure 2.14 The Limbic System
Participates in Learning and Emotion
Table 2.2 Structures of The Limbic
System
Figure 2.16 Comparative Convolutions
of the Cortex
Figure 2.17 The Layers of the Cerebral
Cortex
Figure 2.19 The Lobes of the Cerebral
Cortex
Figure 2.20 The Corpus Callosum and
the Anterior Commissure
The Peripheral Nervous System
The Cranial Nerves
Enter and exit the brain directly to serve the region of
the head and neck
The Spinal Nerves
31 pairs of spinal nerves exit the spinal cord to provide
sensory and motor pathways to the torso, arms, and
legs
Mixed nerve (containing an afferent and efferent nerve)
The Autonomic Nervous System
Manages the vital functions of the body without
conscious effort or awareness
Figure 2.22 The 12 Pairs of Cranial
Nerves
Figure 2.23 The Structure of the Spinal
Cord
The Autonomic Nervous System
The Sympathetic Nervous System
Fight-or-flight system
The Parasympathetic Nervous
System
Provides rest, repair, and energy storage
Central Control of the Autonomic
Nervous System
Hypothalamus, midbrain tegmentum, and
reticular formation
Figure 2.24 The Autonomic Nervous
System
The Evolution of the Human Brain and
Nervous System
Natural Selection and Evolution
Natural selection favors the organism with highest
degree of fitness
Evolution of the Nervous System
Fairly recent development
Vertebrates or chordates = animals with spinal
columns and real brains
Evolution of the Human Brain
Outstanding feature of modern humans is brain
size
Brain development occurred very quickly
Figure 2.25 Timeline for the Evolution
of the Brain
Figure 2.26 True Brains Are Found in
Chordates
Figure 2.27 Chordate Brains Continued
to Evolve