CHAPTER 35

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

Organization of the Body
cellstissuesorgansorgan
systemsorganism
Tissues- groups of cells that perform a single
function
Organs- group of tissues that work together
to perform a complex function
Organ system- group of organs that perform
closely related functions
11 organ systems of body work together to
maintain homeostasis
35-1 HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS
Types of Tissues
Muscle tissue
Most abundant
Controls internal movement of blood, food
Controls external movement of entire body
Heart is made of muscle tissue
Epithelial tissue
Covers surface of body
Lines internal organs
Makes up glands
Connective tissue
Holds organs in place and binds parts of
body together
Support for the body
Pads and insulates body

Nervous tissue
Receives messages from the bodys
external & internal environment
Analyzes data
Directs the response

Body Cavities
Ventral cavity
Thoracic cavity- contains heart & lungs
Abdominal cavity- contains spleen liver,
stomach, gallbladder, small intestine, large
intestine, rectum, urinary bladder,
reproductive organs
Dorsal cavity
Cranial cavity- contains the brain
Vertebral canal- contains the spinal cord
Dor sal
Vent r al

BODY
CAVITIES
Maintaining Homeostasis (the bodys internal
environment is relatively stable)
Examples:
No matter how hot or cold the environment gets,
the temp of body remains around 37 C (97-99F)
Even if you eat an acidic meal, the pH of blood is
usually around 7.4
After eating a sugary candy bar, your blood sugar
remains at about 0.1%


Negative feedback- mechanism that keeps a variable
(body temp for example) close to a particular value
The product of a system shuts down the system

The mechanism has 3 components:
Sensor: detects change in the environment
Regulatory center: activates the effector
Effector: reverses the change & brings conditions
back to normal
Homeostasis in the body
Hypothalmus in brain maintains body
temperature
If temperature drops, the hypothalmus sends
chemical signal to cells to speed up activities
to generate heat
The temperature rises gradually and the
hypothalmus detects increase and stops
production of chemical signals
Controls & coordinates functions throughout
the body & responds to internal & external
stimuli
35-2 THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
Neurons- cells that transmit electrical signals
called impulses

3 types of Neurons
1. Sensory neurons- carry impulses from the
sense organs to the spinal cord & brain

2. Motor neurons- carry impulses from brain &
spinal cord to the muscles & glands

3. Interneurons- connect sensory and motor
neurons and carry impulses between them

Neuron Structure
Neuron Structures:
Cell body- contains nucleus
Dendrites- carry impulses to the cell body
Axon- long fiber that carries impulses away
from the cell body
Myelin sheath- insulating membrane located
on the axon
The Nerve Impulse
Nerve impulses are electrical
The resting potential is the charge difference
across the cell membrane


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP_P6bYvEjE
Impulse begins when a neuron is stimulated
by another neuron or by the environment

The inside of cell temporarily becomes more
positive than the outside (reversing the resting
potential) this is called action potential
The stimulation must be strong enough to
generate an impulse, this is called the
threshold
Once an impulse reaches the end of a neuron,
it crosses the axon terminal to another cell
The space it crosses is called the synapse
Neurotransmitters are chemicals used by the
neuron to transmit an impulse across a
synapse
The nervous systems job is to relay
messages, process information, analyze
information

Nervous system is divided into 2 categories
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
35-3 DIVISIONS OF THE NERVOUS
SYSTEM
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Consists of brain and spinal cord
Both are wrapped in connective tissue known
as meninges
The space between layers of meninges is filled
with cerebrospinal fluid which protects the
CNS
The Brain
Mostly composed of interneurons

5 Regions of the Brain
Cerebrum
Cerebellum
Brain stem
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Cerebrum
Largest region
Responsible for
voluntary activities
Intelligence,
learning &
judgment


Divided into two
hemispheres (left-
brain & right-brain)
Each hemisphere is
divided into a
region called a lobe
Left brain-
analytical skills
Right brain-
creativity

Cerebellum
Located at back of skull
Coordinates & balances muscles
Brain Stem
Connects brain and spinal cord
Includes the pons & medulla oblongata
Blood pressure, heart rate, breathing,
swallowing controlled by brain stem

Thalamus
Receives messages from sense organs

Hypothalamus
Control center for hunger, thirst, fatigue, anger
and body temperature
Spinal Cord
Communication link between brain & rest of
body
Peripheral Nervous System
Sensory division transmits impulses from
sense organs to CNS
Motor division transmits impulses from CNS to
muscles or glands
Somatic Nervous System
Regulates activities under conscious control
Reflex actions regulated by somatic nervous
system
Autonomic Nervous System
Regulates involuntary activities
Sympathetic & parasympathetic- have
opposite effects on organs
Ex: heart rate is increased by sympathetic
nervous system & decreased by the
parasympathetic nervous system
35-5 DRUGS AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
A drug is any substance other than food, that
changes the structure or function of the body

All drugs, legal or illegal, have the potential to
do harm if they are used improperly or abused
Stimulant- drug that increases actions
regulated by the nervous system
Increase blood pressure
Increase heart rate
Increase breathing rate
Increase the release of neurotransmitters at
some synapses in the brain


Makes the body feel energized and euphoric
until stimulant wears off- then fatigue and
depression is felt
Long-term use can cause circulatory problems,
hallucinations, psychological depression

Depressants- decrease the rate of functions
regulated by the brain
Slow down heart rate
Slow down breathing rate
Lower blood pressure
Relax muscles
Relieve tension
Cocaine- causes sudden release of dopamine
(a neurotransmitter) in the brain
Dopamine is normally produced in brain when
a basic need (hunger, thirst) is fulfilled
Cocaine produces intense feelings of pleasure
& satisfaction
When cocaine wears off, the supply of
dopamine is depleted leading to a feeling of
sadness----which leads to wanting more
cocaine---leads to addiction
Opiates
Mimics endorphins (chemical in brain), which
help to overcome sensations of pain