The Nervous System

Things you do!

Walkin g
Singing

Breathing
Dancing

Writing

Crying

Laughing

Talking

Frowning

Sleeping
Running Fighting

Reading

Cooking
Drinking Smiling

Shouting

Imagining
Playing

Jumping

Exercising

Thinking

Nervous System
The control center of the body Contains a network of specialized cells called neurons

2 main parts of nervous system

Central nervous system Brain Spinal cord Peripheral nervous system Nerves

Central Nervous System

Brain The center of the nervous system in all vertebrates and most invertebrate animals Invertebrate animals such as starfish, jellyfish, sponges and adult sea squirts dont have a brain It controls everything inside our body The estimated number of neurons in the human brain ranges to 80 to 120 billion.

3 parts of the brain

Cerebrum
The largest part of the human brain It controls our memory, thinking , speaking, movement and identifies information gathered by our sense organs It consists of 4 lobes: frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe
Cerebrum

3 parts of the brain

Cerebellum
little brain It controls our balance and posture

Cerebellum

3 parts of the brain

Brain Stem
It connects the brain to the spinal cord The 3 parts of the brain stem are the medulla, Pons and midbrain.

Brain Stem

Central Nervous System

Spinal Cord
Sends message to the brain It relays information between peripheral nerves and the brain

Peripheral Nervous System

Somatic nervous system

Voluntary Controls skeletal muscle as well as external sensory organs

Peripheral Nervous System

Autonomic nervous system

Involuntary Controls involuntary muscles such as smooth and cardiac muscle Two divisions: parasympathetic and sympathetic

Peripheral Nervous System

Parasympathetic
Most active in times of relaxation

Sympathetic
Most active in times of excitement or danger

Neurons

very specialized cell that forms the basis of the nervous system

4 main parts of neurons

Dendrites receive signals Soma/cell body a place where the neuron receives input Axon Transmits electric signals along its length and chemical signals at its endings Axon Terminals send signals to other neurons
nucleus myelin sheath

Dendrites

Axon Terminal Button

Soma/ Cell body

Axons

3 types of neurons
Sensory Neurons neurons that detects specific stimuli Motor neurons neurons that control muscle and glands. Interneuron neurons that receive signals from other neurons integrate information.

Sensory neurons

Action Potential (AP)

The resting potential tells about what happens when a neuron is at rest. An action potential occurs when a neuron sends information down an axon.

Is an explosion of electrical activity The resting membrane potential changes

AP All or nothing

AP only happens if the stimulus reaches a threshold value

Stimulus is strong enough to cause an AP It is an all or nothing event because once it starts, it travels to the synapse.

AP is always the same size Frequency of the impulse carries information strong stimulus = high frequency

Action Potential

At rest, the inside of the neuron is slightly negative due to a higher concentration of positively charged sodium ions outside the neuron.

Action Potential

When stimulated past the threshold, sodium channels open and sodium rushes into the axon, causing a region of positive charge within the axon.

Action Potential

The region of positive charge causes nearby sodium channels to open. Just after the sodium channels close, the potassium channels open wide, and potassium exits the axon.

Action Potential

This process continues as a chainreaction along the axon. The influx of sodium depolarises the axon, and the outflow of potassium repolarises the axon.

Action Potential

The sodium/potassium pump restores the resting concentrations of sodium and potassium ions

Action Potential

Changes in Membrane Potential

Depolarization the inside of the membrane becomes less negative. Increases probability of impulse. Repolarization the membrane returns to its resting membrane potential. Hyperpolarization the inside of the membrane becomes more negative than the resting potentialdecreases probability of impulse.

How does the signal go from one neuron to the next?

Synapse

It is the connection between one neuron with another neuron. Typically composed of three parts:
Axonal terminal of the presynaptic neuron, which contains synaptic vesicles Receptor region on the dendrites or soma of the postsynaptic neuron Space between the presynaptic and post synaptic neuron (Synaptic cleft)

Synapse
Presynaptic neuron
Calcium channels

Synaptic Vesicle Synaptic cleft

Neurotransmitters

Postsynaptic neuron

Receptor s

Synapse

Synapse (in drug addiction)

Diseases and disorders of the nervous system

Alzheimers Disease
Most common form of dementia among older people People with this disease have trouble of remembering things It affects more women than men It usually begins at age after 60 There is no cure for this disease

Diseases and disorders of the nervous system

Cerebral Palsy
A non-progressive disorder of movement resulting from damage to the brain before, during, or immediately after birth It can also lead to other health issues, including vision, hearing, and speech problems, and learning disabilities Caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain

Diseases and disorders of the nervous system

Parkinsons Disease
occurs when the nerve cells in the brain that make dopamine are slowly destroyed The most obvious symptoms are movement-related; these include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking

Diseases and disorders of the nervous system

Bells Palsy
Paralysis of the facial nerve Weakness of the muscles of one side of the face May result in inability to close the eye

Quiz

Quiz
True or False (write T or F) 1. Somatic nervous system controls involuntary muscles 2. Acceleration of the heartbeat happens under sympathetic nervous system 3. Parkinsons disease occurs when the

4. 5.

nerve cells in the brain that make serotonin are slowly destroyed Sensory neurons are neurons that control muscle and glands Sympathetic neurons are most active in times of excitement or danger

Quiz
True or False (write T or F) 6. Spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae 7. Cerebellum controls our balance and posture 8. Synaptic vesicle is the space between the presynaptic neuron and the postsynaptic neuron 9. A process by which neurotransmitters are released to the synaptic cleft is called exocytosis 10. Neuron is a specialized cell that send signals throughout the body