The Nervous System
By: Casey Reiman, Tara Didonato, Kelly Blochlinger, Kaillie Winston, and
Gisselle Medina
General Structure of the Brain
Four Major Sections:
 Brain Stem- consisting of the medulla, pons, and the midbrain
 Diencephalon- consisting of the thalamus and the hypothalamus
 Cerebrum-two hemispheres
 Cerebellum
Structure Cont.
Protection of Brain:
 Cranial bones
 Meninges- coverings that run continuously around the spinal
cord and the brain
 Cerebrospinal fluid
Brain Stem
Medulla Oblongata:
 Structure: The Medulla Oblongata is elongated, almost tubelike,
as it stretches from the pons to the spinal cord. This structure
allows for it to transfer nerve endings throughout the brain.
 Functions:
 respiration
 blood pressure
 cardiac function
 bodily secretions
 swallowing, reflexes
 heart rate
 general homeostasis
Brain Stem Cont.
Pons:
 Functions:
 path for information between the cerebrum and the
cerebellum
 interprets dreams
 senses arousal
 management of involuntary breathing pattern
 Structure: A bunch of nerve fibers in a lump.
Diencephalon
 Thalamus:
Function: A relay station for
sensory impulses to the cerebral
cortex from the spinal cord, brain
stem, cerebellum, and parts of the
cerebrum.
 Hypothalamus:
Function: Controls Homeostasis.
 Structure: Both contain a lot of
nuclei.
Limbic System
The Limbic System: the “emotional brain” located deeply within
the cerebrum.
 Thalamus- sensory and motor information
 Hypothalamus- functions related to homeostasis, emotions,
hunger, thirst, circadian rhythms, autonomic nervous system,
and pituitary gland.
 Amygdala- memory, emotion, and fear.
 Hippocampus- learning and memory; converts short term
memory to long term memory.
 Corpus Callosum- a bundle of axons that connects the two
hemispheres of the brain and transmits information from one side
to the other.
Cerebrum
The four lobes and functions:
 Frontal lobe- motor planning. Reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement,
emotions, and problem solving.
 Parietal lobe- somatosensory. Movement, orientation, recognition, perception
of stimuli, memory.
 Occipital lobe- visual processing.
 Temporal lobe-auditory and olfactory. Perception and recognition of auditory
stimuli and speech.
Structure:
 Largest part of brain
 “wrinkled”
 Divided into left and right hemispheres- connected by corpus callosum
Cerebellum
Function:
 Responsible for unconscious movement
 Works with brain stem- negative feedback loop
Structure:
 At the base of the cerebrum connected to the brain stem.
Cerebellar Injuries
Injuries to the Cerebellum: injuries can result from alcohol
abuse, tumors, multiple sclerosis, stroke or cerebral palsy.
 Ataxia- affects coordination, eye movements, and speech
 Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome- impairment in
speech and visual spacing; depression, blunted emotions,
psychosis.
Neurons
Types of Neurons:
 Sensory neurons
 Interneuorns
 Motor neurons
Connections:
 Sensory Neurons sense a change and they send messages to the
interneurons. The interneurons send signals to the brain for processing
and then brain sends information back to the interneurons. The
interneurons stimulate the motor neurons which deal with the change.
Spinal Cord
Function conveys sensory impulses from the periphery to the
brain and to conduct motor impulses from the brain
to the periphery.
 provides a mean of integrating reflexes.
Head Injuries
The most common ones are Concussion and Traumatic Brain
injuries.
 Concussion- caused by a blow to the head that shakes the
brain.
-Treatment: rest mentally and physically
 Traumatic Brain injuries- caused by a violent blow to the
head or something that pierces the skull.
-Treatment: requires assistance of a doctor
Brain Abscesses
Cause:
An abscess is caused by infection in the brain, which most commonly
comes from another part of the body.
Definition- the oozing of pus within the brain.
Symptoms:
 -Fever
 -Headache
 -inability to speak
 -inability to sense
 -inability to move
 -loss of coordination
Diseases of the Brain
 Alzheimer’s Disease-Damages nerve cells (neurons) in
parts of the brain involved in memory, learning, language and
reasoning
 Stroke- blood vessels carrying oxygen and other nutrients
to the brain become blocked or suddenly burst.
 Parkinson’s Disease- A malfunction in the nervous system
affects communication between the brain and the muscles.
Experimental Treatments:
 Example: An experimental treatment took place for
Parkinson’s Disease in 2008 as doctors attempted to use gene
therapy to improve motor and sensory activity in the brain.
This experiment targeted the corpus collasum, which
controls motor and sensory activity.
Works Cited:
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Tortora, Gerard J., and Nicholas Peter Anagnostakos. "The Brain and the Cranial Nerves." Principles of Anatomy and Physiology,Third
Edition. New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1981. 326-45. Print.