Nervous System Imogen Ecal Period 1
Major Functions of the Nervous System
Major Divisions & Subdivisions of the Nervous System
Tissues
Classification of Neurons
Connective Tissue Coverings
Major Parts & Functions of the Brain
Major Parts & Functions the Spinal Cord
Action Potential & the Nerve Impulse
Cranial Nerves
Neurotransmitters
Compare & Contrast Autonomic Nervous System
Reflex Arc
Disorders Associated with Nervous System
Drugs
MDMA: AKA ecstasy, causes increase of energy and distortion of perception; feeling of euphoria; interferes with body temperature regulation; when taken in large amounts, they can cause panic attacks
Nicotine: Cigars, cigarettes, vaping; highly addictive but is bad for the body; can be taken through smoking, nicotine patches; stimulant, can be relaxing to users
Inhalents: Not drugs, they're household products; it can cause hallucinations, brain damage, and impair coordination
Psychedelics: Hallucinogen; causes hallucinations and distortions; causes users to sense things that are not there, intensifies emotions and senses
Dissociative Drug: Feeling of detachment; causes hallucinations and distortions; lose touch with reality for users
Opioids: Used for pain relief; same category as morphine; when injected, they can cause pinpoint pupils and which is followed by a period of drowsiness and clouded thinking
Ecstasy: Mimics serotonin and can lead to addiction
Heroine: Binds to opiate receptors; feeling of sedation and well being
Marijuana: Users feel relaxed and calm from slowed down movements
Methamphetamine: Mimics dopamine and is highly addictive; works with the brain's reward pathway
Alcohol: Causes users to be disoriented and make bad decisions
Cocaine: Users are fidgety; also works in the brain's reward pathway and is addictive
LSD: Users are more aware and easily startled
Meninges
Dura Mater: outermost layer; tough
Arachnoid Mater: string like; between dura mater and pia mater
Pia Mater: innermost layer; looks like saran wrap; clear and thin
Integration Center: monosynaptic or polysynaptic
Motor Neuron: conducts efferent impulses from integration center to effector organ
Sensory Neuron: transmits afferent impulses to CNS
Effector: muscle fiber or gland; responds to efferent impulses by contracting or secreting
Receptor: site of stimulus action
Response: ex. muscle contraction
Stimulus: ex. stimulus on skin
Cerebellum: between cerebrum and brain stem; helps in coordination and movement related to motor skills
V. Trigeminal Nerves: largest nerve, motor & sensory function
VI. Abducens Nerves: Helps move the rectus muscle; eye movement
IV. Trochlear Nerves: responsible for movement of the eye
VII. Facial Nerves: has both motor & sensory functions
III. Oculomotor Nerves: responsible for muscle movement in the eyes
VIII. Vestibulocochlear: responsible for balance
IX. Glossophangeal Nerves: both motor and sensory functions
X.Vagus Nerves: motor, sensory, and parasympathetic functions
II. Optic Nerves: responsible for vision
XI. Accessory Nerves: provides motor function to some muscles in the neck
XII. Hypoglossal Nerves: supplies tongue muscles
I. Olfactory Nerves: responsible for a person's sense of smell
Peripheral Nervous System
Central Nervous System
Pituitary Gland: controlling growth and development and the functioning of the other endocrine glands
Olfactory Bulbs: responsible for sense of smell
Optic Chiasma: aids in vision; X shape
Huntington's Disease: inherited disorder that causes neurons in parts of the brain to gradually break down and die; affects both men and women around the ages 30-50, but can start earlier
Parkinson's Disease: progressive nervous system disorder that affects movements, present in both men & women, 50% more present in women
Multiple Sclerosis: autoimmune disease; myelin sheaths in CNS destroyed by immune system, makes them hard. Those affected will have a hard time moving, the feeling of weakness, and loss of muscle control; drugs that modify the immune system will help.
Parasympathetic Division: maintenance functions & conserves energy
Sympathetic Division: Mobilizes body during activities
Dual Innervation: all visceral organs served by both divisions
Fight-or-Flight System
fibers originate in thoracis & lumbar region
preganglionic nerves short
preganglionic fibers long
preganglionic nerves long
fibers originate from brain stem
Rest-and-Digest System
postganglionic fibers short
ganglia near visceral effector organs
ganglia close to spinal cord
more complex & innervates more organs
Motor Neurons
Interneurons
Sensory Neurons
Ventricles: empty spaces in brain filled with cerebral spinal fluid (CSF); lateral ventricle, fourth ventricle, third ventricle, cerebral aqueduct
Cross Sectional Anatomy
integration: processing and interpretation of sensory input
motor output: activation of effector organs (muscles & glands) = response
sensory input: info about internal and external changes gathered by sensory receptors
classified by chemical structure & function
language of the nervous system
Spinal Nerves
31 paired roots
5 lumbar nerves
5 sacral nerves
12 thoracic nerves
1 coccygeal nerves
8 cervical nerves
Generated
lie between sensory and motor neurons
impulses from CNS to receptors
impulses from sensory receptors to CNS
unipolar; cell bodies located in ganglia in PNS
most abundant in body
- depolarization: Na+ channels open
- resting state: gated Na+ & K+ channels closed
- repolarization (returns to resting membrane potential): Na+ channels inactivate, K+ channels open
- hyperpolarization: some Ka+ channels open & Na+ channels reset
AP happens all or none
Depolarization doesn't guarantee generation of AP
Propagation allows AP to be transmitted from origin down entire axon length toward terminals
refractory period: neurons cannot trigger AP
Diencephalon:
Brain Stem
Cerebrum (Cerebral Hemispheres)
Pons: motor function, sensation, eye movement, hearing, taste
Medulla Oblongata: transmitting signals between the spinal cord
Midbrain: movements of the eye, and in auditory and visual processing
Frontal Lobe: front of the brain; attention, planning, decision making
Parietal Lobe: touch, taste, hearing
Temporal Lobe: memory processing, emotions
Occipital Lobe: back of the brain; aids in vision
Thalamus: relay station for information coming into cortex
Hypothalamus: main visceral control and regulating center; vital for homeostasis
Wernicke's Area: involved in understanding spoken and written words
Broca's Area: motor speech area; directs muscles of speech production
brain
spinal cord
Connective Tissue Coverings
motor (afferent) division
sensory (efferent) division
autonomic nervous system (involuntary)
somatic nervous system (voluntary)
sympathetic: mobilizes body during activity
parasympathetic: maintenance functions, conserves energy
spinal nerves to and from spinal cord
cranial nerves to and from brain
innervation; visceral organs served by both divisions; dynamic antagonism
perineurium: coarse connective tissue, bundles fibers into fascicles
epineurium: tough fibrous sheath around all fascicles to form nerve
endoneurium: loose connective tissue; encloses axons and myelin sheaths (schwann cells)
Information transfer across synaptic cleft
- the entry of Ca2+ causes synaptic vesicles to release neurotransmitters
- neurotransmitters diffuse across synaptic cleft and binds to specific receptors on postsynaptic membrane
- graded potential is made when neurotransmitters bind to ion channels
- neurotransmitter effects terminated
- voltage-gated Ca2+ channels open, Ca2+ enters axon terminal
- AP arrives at axon terminal of presynaptic neuron
Gross Anatomy
Epidural space: cushion of fat & veins in the space between vertebrae and spinal dura mater
Filum terminate: fibrous extention of conus covered with pia mater & anchors to spinal cord
Denticulate ligaments: extensions of pia mater that secure cord to dura mater
spinal nerves: attach to spinal cord by 31 paired roots
Cauda Equina: collection of nerve roots at inferior end of vertebral column
ventral (anterior) median fissure
dorsal (posterior) median fissure
central canal: runs down length of spinal cord, filled with cerebral spinal fluid (CSF)
gray matter located in core and white matter located outside
dorsal horns: interneurons that receive somatic and visceral sensory input
ventral horns: some interneurons; somatic motor neurons
lateral horns: sympathetic neurons
Nervous Tissue
found in spinal cord, brain, and in nerves
Dendrite: receives input
Nucleus:
Axon: conducting region of neuron
Axon Terminal: region that secretes neurotransmitters
Schwann Cells: form myelin sheaths
Cell Body: genetic information, maintains the neuron's structure, and provides energy to drive activities
Alzheimer's Disease: results in dementia (key proteins misfolded and malfunctioned; caused by brain cells dying which makes the brain shrink
Pineal Gland: internal clock
Mamillary Body: recollective memory
gray matter
white matter
found in brain and spinal cord
found in brain and spinal cord
myelinated axons
short, nonmyelinated neurons and cell bodies
Nodes of Arnvier: in between axons
myelin sheath: composed of myelin and surrounds the axon to increase speed
Neuroglia
neuroglia (glial cells): wrap and surround delicate neurons
neurons (nerve cells): transmit electrical signals
astrocytes: most abundant and versatile, supports neurons, plays a role in exchanges between capillaries and neurons
microglial cells: small cells with thorny processes that touch and monitor neurons
ependymal cells: range in shape (squamous to columnar) may be ciliated, lines central cavities of brain and spinal column
oligodendrocytes: branched cells, processes wrap CNS nerve fibers into myelin sheaths in thick nerve fibers
Hemiplegia: paralysis of one side of the body; results in speech and sensory deficits
Meningitis: inflammation of the meninges
corpus callosum: ensures both sides of the brain can communicate and send signals to each other
fornix: cognition and episodic memory recall
Part of the parasympathetic nervous system
controls most functions of the body and mind
Epithalamus: forms roof of 3rd ventricle and contains the pineal gland
arbor vitae: white matter in cerebellum (tree shaped)
Epileptic seizure: flood of electrical discharges by groups of neurons, prevents other messages from getting through
Hydrocephalus: water on brain; increased pressure from CSF being blocked from circulating and being drained
Contusion: permanent brain damage
Concussion: temporary brain damage
Subdural or subarachnoid hemorrhage: pressure from blood may force brain stem through foramen magnum = death
cerebral edema: swelling of brain from traumatic head injury
stroke: caused by interruption of blood flow to brain
Ischemia: inadequate blood supply = death of tissue
2 way communication to and from the brain
(ALS) Lou Gehrig's Disease: destruction of ventral horn motor neurons and fibers of pyramidal tract;
loss of ability to speak, swallow, and breathe
Cerebral Palsy: neuromuscular disability involving poorly controlled or paralyzed voluntary muscles
Anencephaly: cerebrum and parts of the brain never develop; death after birth
Spina Bifida: incomplete formation of vertebral arches; caused by lack of folic acid
hypertension: high blood pressure; heart works harder; more prone to wear and tear
Raynaud's disease: fingers turn pale; painful in toes and fingers
Autonomic dysreflexia: life threatening; blood pressure rises which increases risk of stroke
controls internal environment to maintain homeostasis
voluntary movement