AP Biology

The
Nervous
System

2003-2004

Overview
The Nervous System controls and

coordinates all the functions of the

body.
The Nervous System consists of two
main sub-divisions:

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The Peripheral Nervous System is

divided into two sub-divisions:

Somatic
Autonomic

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Structure and Function of the Neuron

Neuron is the scientific name for a Nerve
Cell.
Neurons consist of 3 basic structures:

Cyton, or cell body.

Dendrites- receive messages, impulses, and
send them to the cell body.
Axons- send messages away from the cell
body.

Nerve impulses travel from one neuron to

another across synapses, or spaces in
between the cells.
The jumping across the synapse is
facilitated (helped) by chemicals called
Neurotransmitters.
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Nerve Cells (neurons)

Basic unit of the
nervous system
Pass impulses along

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Dendrites
Dendrites

Dendrites

Branched parts of a
neuron that receive
impulses from other
neurons.

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Cell Body
Contain the nucleus
and cytoplasm
Impulses pass
through here to the
axon.

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Cell Body

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AXON
The axon is a single,
long fiber that
carries impulses
away form the cell
body.

AXON

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Synapse
Junction between nerve cells

1st cell releases chemical to trigger

next cell
where drugs affect nervous system
synapse

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Types of Neurons
Neurons can also be classified by the direction
that they send information:
Sensory (or afferent) neurons: send
information from sensory receptors (e.g., in
skin, eyes, nose, tongue, ears) TOWARD the
central nervous system.
Motor (or efferent) neurons: send information
AWAY from the central nervous system to
muscles or glands.
Interneurons: send information BETWEEN
sensory neurons and motor neurons. Most
interneurons are located in the central
nervous system.
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Types of neurons
sensory neuron
(from senses)

interneuron
(brain & spinal chord)

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motor neuron
(to muscle)

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Reflexes
Stimulus- a change in the environment.
Reaction- how the body reacts to a

stimulus.
Reflex Arc- the pathway that an
impulse follows to illicit a response to a
stimulus.

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Stimulus
A stimulus is a
specific change in
the environment that
affects the Nervous
system.

Heat

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Impulse
Impulse is an
electrical or
chemical message
that is carried by
nerve cells.

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Response
Reaction to the
stimulus
Quickly moving your
hand so it will not
burn.

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How a Reflex Happens

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Human Nervous System

2 Parts
The Central Nervous System
(Brain and Spinal Cord)
The Peripheral Nervous System
made up of nerves that lie
outside the central nervous
system.
Carries impulses to and from
the central nervous system

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Two Parts
Central (CNS)
Peripheral (PNS)

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http://inside.salve.edu/walsh/cns_pns.jpg

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Central Nervous System

Brain
Spinal cord

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The Brain
Coordinates body activities
Made up of approximately 100 billion

neurons
Divided into three major partsthe cerebrum
the cerebellum
the brain stem.

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Cerebrum
Largest part of the brain
Thinking
Memory is stored
Movements are controlled
Impulses from the senses are
interpreted.

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Cerebellum
Interprets stimuli from eyes, ears,
muscles
Controls voluntary muscle movements
Maintains muscle tone
Helps maintain balance

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Brain Stem
Connects brain to spinal cord
Medulla

controls involuntary actions

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Medulla
Center of heart beat,
respiration, and
other involuntary
actions

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The Spinal Cord

Extension of the brain stem
Bundles of neurons that carry impulses
from all parts of the body to the brain
and from the brain to all parts of your
body

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The
Peripheral
Nervous
System
Your brain
and spinal
Somatic
cord are
and
connected
Autonomic
to the rest
Systems
of your
The
body by
peripheral
the
nervous
peripheral
system
has
nervous
two
major
system.
divisions.
The PNS
is made up
somatic
of 12 pairs
system
of nerves
controls
from your
voluntary
brain It
actions.
called
is
made up
cranial
of
the
nerves, and
cranial
and 31
spinal
pairs from
nerves
that
your
go
from
spinal
the
cord called
central
spinal
nervous
nerves. to
system
Spinal
your
nerves are
skeletal
made up of
muscles.
bundles of
The
sensory
autonomic
and motor
system
neurons
controls
bound
involuntary
together by
actionsconnective
those
not
tissue. For
under
this
conscious
Research
reason,
controla
Visit the
single
such
as
Glencoe
spinal
your
heart
Science
nerve
rate,
can
Web site at
have
breathing,
tx.science.
impulses
digestion,
glencoe.co
going
and
to
m forfrom
more
and
glandular
information
the
functions.
brain at
about
the
the
These
same
two
nervous
time.
divisions,
Some
system.
nerves
along
with
Make
a
contain
the
central
brochure
only
nervous
outlining
sensory
system,
recentup
neurons,
make
medical
and
your
some
advances.
contain
body's
only motor
nervous
neurons,
system.
but most
nerves
contain
both types
of neurons.

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Peripheral Nervous System

Connects body to brain & spinal cord
12 pairs of nerves from your brain

(cranial nerves)
31 pairs from your spinal cord (spinal
nerves)

Bundles of sensory and motor neurons

held together by connective tissue

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http://www.christopherreeve.org/Research/Research.cfm?ID=178&c=21

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Peripheral Nervous System

Two divisions
Somatic
Autonomic

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Somatic Nervous System

Controls voluntary actions
Made up of the cranial and spinal
nerves that go from the central nervous
system to your skeletal muscles

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http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/autonomic.gif

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Stroke
Occurs when there
is not enough
oxygen going to the
brain.
Brainsrule.com

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Polio
Viral disease of the central nervous
system that can cause paralysis.

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Meningitis
Is an inflammation
of the membranes
that surround the
brain and spinal
cord.
Disease is caused
by bacteria, or a
virus.
Symptoms Very
bad headache

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Herniated Disk
Disk in vertebra
moves up
against the
spinal nerves.
Very painful

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Nervous system cells

Neuron
signal

direction

a nerve cell
dendrites

cell body

axon

signal direction

synapse
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Fun facts about neurons

Most specialized cell in
animals
Longest cell

blue whale neuron

10-30 meters

giraffe axon
5 meters

human neuron
1-2 meters

Nervous system allows for

1Regents
millisecond
Biologyresponse time

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Human brain

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Division of Brain Function

Left hemisphere

logic side
language, math, logic operations, vision &
hearing details
fine motor control

Right hemisphere

creative side
pattern recognition, spatial
relationships, non-verbal
ideas, emotions, multi-tasking

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Cerebrum specialization
Regions specialized for different functions
Lobes

frontal

frontal

parietal

speech,

control of emotions

temporal
smell, hearing

occipital
vision

parietal
speech, taste

reading

temporal
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occipital
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cerebrum
cerebellum
spinal cord

cervical
nerves
thoracic
nerves
lumbar
nerves
femoral
nerve

Any Questions??

sciatic
nerve
tibial
nerve

AP Biology

2003-2004