NERVOUS SYSTEM: THE
CONTROL SYSTEM OF
THE BODY
KEY TERMS:
Impulse - a sudden strong desire to do something
Homeostasis - the ability to maintain internal
stability in an organism in response to the
environmental changes.
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
•Major control system of homeostasis and the “main processing center”.
•A complex network of nerves and cells that carry messages to and
from the brain and spinal cord to various parts of the body.
•It is considered as the body’s storage center of information and also the
body’s control system.
•It is mainly responsible for controlling and coordinating all the organ
systems by sending messages from the brain through nerve signals.
•It makes sure that all the parts of the body are working together
efficiently.
MAJOR DIVISIONS AND PARTS
OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
I. Central Nervous System (CNS) serves as the main processing
center of the nervous system. It consists of two main
components, namely;
A. BRAIN
B. SPINAL CORD
II. Peripheral Nervous System(PNS) connects the central nervous
system to the organs and limbs. It has two main divisions:
A. SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
B. AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
I. CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
(CNS)
Central Nervous System (CNS) is serves as the
main processing center of the nervous system. It
consists of two main components, namely;
A. BRAIN
B. SPINAL CORD
A. BRAIN
•It is an organ located within the skull that functions
as organizer and distributor of information for the
body. It has three main parts:
1)CEREBRUM
2)CEREBELLUM
3)BRAIN STEM
CEREBRUM
• It is the large, upper part of the brain
that controls activity and thought.
4 LOBES OF CEREBRUM
1. Frontal lobe – Having to do with decision-making,
problem solving and planning.
2. Parietal lobe – Concerned with the reception and
processing of sensory information from the body.
3. Temporal lobe – Having to do with memory, emotion,
hearing, and language.
4. Occipital lobe – Concerned with vision.
CEREBELLUM
•It is the part under the cerebrum that
controls posture, balance, and
coordination.
BRAIN STEM
•Connects the brain to the spinal cord and
controls automatic functions such as
breathing, digestion, heart rate, and blood
pressure.
PARTS OF BRAIN STEM
1. MIDBRAIN – controls involuntary eye movement and reflexes
related to visual and audio information.
2. PONS – relay messages from the cortex to the cerebellum.
Responsible for facial sensitivity. Plays a major role in REM
sleep where dreams occur.
3. MEDULLA OBLONGATA – regulates breathing, heart rate,
digestion and sleeping. Plays a role regulating muscle tone and
movement. Responsible for initiating reflexes such as vomiting,
swallowing, gagging, coughing, sneezing and hiccupping.
B. SPINAL CORD
•Serves as a channel for signal
between the brain and the majority of
the body parts, and controls some
simple musculoskeletal reflexes even
without the processing of the brain.
II. PERIPHERAL NERVOUS
SYSTEM
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
connects the central nervous system to the
organs and limbs. It has two main
divisions:
1.Somatic Nervous System
2.Autonomic Nervous System
SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
•It is associated with the voluntary control
of body movements and has two main
parts:
1.Spinal Nerves
2.Cranial Nerves
SPINAL NERVES
•Carry motor and sensory signals
between the spinal cord and the body.
CRANIAL NERVES
•Nerve fibers that carry information
into and out of the brain stem.
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS
SYSTEM
•It is associated with the involuntary
control of body movements and has two
subdivisions:
1.Sympathetic Nervous System
2.Parasympathetic Nervous System
SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS
SYSTEM
• It is activated when the body is in a
dynamic role or stress. (e.g., increased
heart rate and breathing, dilation of pupil,
sweating)
PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS
SYSTEM
•Maintains body functions and restores the
body to normal or relaxed mode.
THE NERVE CELL OR NEURON
•The nerve cell is the basic unit of the
nervous system and it is also called as
neuron (cell body containing nucleus).
•There are billions of neurons in the body.
STRUCTURE OF NEURON
•A neuron has a cell body containing the nucleus.
•In the cell body there are root-like structures called
the dendrites and axons.
•Dendrites carry impulses toward the cell body
while axons carry impulses away from the cell
body.
•The gap between neurons is called synapse
THE NERVE IMPULSE
•Neurons are cells with the special ability to carry signals or
impulses.
•Thoughts, emotions, learning, and many body functions are
carried by nerve impulses in the neurons.
•A nerve impulse is a combination of an electrical charge and a
chemical reaction.
•A nerve impulse is not a flow of electricity, but an
electrochemical signal moving along a neuron.
•A nerve impulse cannot jump from one neuron to another.
•When a nerve impulse comes to the end of an axon, it produces the
chemical, called neurotransmitter, to be released.
•The chemical crosses the space between neurons called synapse
and stimulates the nerve impulse to start in the next dendrite.
•The nervous system is assisted by five sense organs - the eyes,
ears, nose, tongue, and skin. These sense organs are constantly
receiving information from the environment and sending messages
to the brain.
•These senses aid in the survival of human beings.
•A stimulus (plural: stimuli) is any factor in the environment that
may trigger a nerve impulse.
•A response is a reaction to a stimulus.
•A stimulus is received by the body and a response is made. An
organism must be able to respond to a stimulus in order to survive.
•Messages do not travel in both directions along the same neuron.
•Only the axon of the neuron releases neurotransmitters that cross
the space between neurons. - Reaction time is the length of time
between application of a stimulus and detection of a response.
HOW NERVOUS SYSTEM COORDINATES AND
REGULATES FEEDBACK MECHANISMS TO
MAINTAIN HOMEOSTASIS?
•The nervous system provides quick responses in maintaining homeostasis.
•Homeostasis is maintained in the body by regulating the body temperature,
blood pressure, pH, and glucose concentration.
•To achieve homeostasis, the nervous and endocrine systems work with each
other to maintain a normal range of many processes and substances in the
body such as:
• Temperature of the body
• Amount of water in the body
• Amount of metabolic wastes in the cell
• Blood calcium level
QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU!
