Troy Friedman and Andrew Gronlund
Functions of the Nervous System
• Sensory Neurons=receptors
•Detect changes inside and outside the body
•Convert the information into nerve impulses
which are sent to the Central Nervous System
• Motor Neurons=effectors
•Stimulate muscle contraction
• Somatic or Autonomic
• Interneurons
•Transmit impulses within the CNS
http://apbrwww5.apsu.edu/thompsonj/Anatomy%20&%20Physiology/2010/2010%20Exam%20Reviews/Exam%203%20Review/11-01_NvsSysFunction.JPG
Structure of the Neuron
 3 main parts
 Cell body- contains organelles that keeps the cell
functioning
 Dendrites- receives and conducts nerve impulses to the
cell body
 Axon- conducts impulses away
What is a Synapse???
 synapse-the junction between any two communicating
neurons
 When a synapse occurs there is a sender (presynaptic
neuron) and a receiver (postsynaptic neuron).
 This process is called synaptic transmission.
 Synaptic transmission is a one-way process carried out
by biochemicals called neurotransmitters.
http://blog.bufferapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/synapse.jpg
Impulse Transmission
http://home.sandiego.edu/~gmorse/2011BIOL221/studyguidefinal/actionpotential.jpg
Structures of the brain
http://higheredbcs.wiley.com/legacy/college/nair/0470670622/label_diagrams/flash_files/images/Fig10-2_on.jpg
Structures of the Brain
Cerebrum
 Frontal Lobe
 Higher thought processes and motor functions
 Parietal Lobes
 Cutaneous (skin) senses
 Temporal Lobes
 Hearing
 Occipital Lobe
 Vision
Cerebellum
 Coordinate complex muscle movements
 Maintain balance and posture
https://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/642/flashcards/911642/jpg/the-cerebellum-midsagittal-section-and-parasagittal-section1339961624784.jpg
Diencephalon
 Hypothalamus
 Maintains homeostasis=regulatory functions

Heart rate, arterial blood pressure, body temperature, water
and electrolyte balance, control of hunger and body weight,
control of movements and glandular secretions of the
stomach and intestines, pituitary gland’s hormones, sleep and
wakefulness
 Thalamus
 Channels sensory impulses to appropriate area of the
cerebral cortex
Brainstem
 Midbrain
 Pons
 Medulla Oblongata
- Auditory
-Relay sensory
-Relay sensory
and visual
impulses
impulses
reflexes
-Regulate breathing
-Regulate heart rate,
vasoconstriction/
vasodilation, and
breathing
Central and Peripheral Nervous System
CNS
 Contains all
interneurons
 Motor neurons’
cell bodies
PNS
 Sensory neurons’
cell bodies
http://askabiologist.asu.edu/parts-nervous-system
Autonomic Nervous System
 Autonomic=Automatic/involuntary muscles
 Regulate visceral function
Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic
 Gray matter of the spinal
 Brainstem and sacral region
cord
 Cholinergic preganglionic
 Adrenergic postganglionic
 Fight or flight
of spinal cord
 Cholinergic preganglionic
and postganglionic
 Ordinary conditions
Each activates some functions and inhibits others—opposite effects
Our Somatic Senses
 Touch and Pressure (mechanoreceptors)
 Free nerve endings, Meissner’s corpuscles, Pacinian
corpuscles
 Temperature (thermoreceptors)
 Warm receptors and Cold receptors
 Pain (pain receptors)
 Free nerve endings stimulated by tissue damage
 Cause is poorly understood

Chemical buildup? Ischemia?
http://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/704/flashcards/586704/png/sensory_receptors_in_skin1310073608711.png
Taste and Smell
 Chemoreceptors – stimulated by changes in chemical
concentrations
 Special senses
 Olfactory organs and Taste buds
 Hair-like projections


Cilia
Taste hairs
Diseases/Disorders
 Gliomas – brain tumors made by rapidly dividing
neuroglia
 Parkinson disease – too little dopamine causes
overactive basal nuclei, inhibits movement
 Huntington disease – basal nuclei neurons deteriorate,
unrestrained movement
 Anosmia – loss of smell, inflamed nasal cavity
Works Cited
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Nervous System Function. Digital image. Apbrwww5.apsu.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
<http://home.sandiego.edu/~gmorse/2011BIOL221/studyguidefinal/actionpotential.jpg>.
Synapse. Digital image. Blog.bufferapp.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
<http://blog.bufferapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/synapse.jpg>.
Action Potential. Digital image. Sandiego.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
<http://home.sandiego.edu/~gmorse/2011BIOL221/studyguidefinal/actionpotential.jpg>.
Structures of the Brain. Digital image. Higheredbcs.wiley.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
<http://higheredbcs.wiley.com/legacy/college/nair/0470670622/label_diagrams/flash_files/i
mages/Fig10-2_on.jpg>.
The cerebellum midsagittal section and parasagittal section. Digital image.
Classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
<https://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/642/flashcards/911642/jpg/the-cerebellummidsagittal-section-and-parasagittal-section1339961624784.jpg>.
Central and Peripheral Nervous System. Digital image. Askabiologist.asu.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar.
2015. <http://askabiologist.asu.edu/parts-nervous-system>.
Sensory Receptors in Skin. Digital image. Classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar.
2015.
<http://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/704/flashcards/586704/png/sensory_receptors_
in_skin1310073608711.png>.