Organization of

The Nervous
System

Dr Syed Meesam
Iftekhar
 Objectives

At the end of the lecture, the students

should be able to:
• List the parts of the nervous system.
• Define the following terms:
Grey matter, white matter, nucleus,
ganglion, tract, nerve.
• List the parts of the brain.
• List the structures protecting the central
nervous system.
INTRODUCTION The nervous system
How does the has three functions:
nervous system  Collection of
work ? sensory input:
Identifies changes
occurring inside and
outside the body by
using sensory
receptors.
 These changes are
called stimuli.
 Integration:
Processes, analyses
and interprets these
changes and makes
decisions.
 Motor output:
Response by
CLASSIFICATIO
N

STRUCTURAL
• CNS.
• PNS.
FUNCTIONAL
• Sensory division
(Afferent).
• Motor division
(Efferent).
– Autonomic.
– Somatic.
 EARLY DEVELOPMENT
• By the beginning of the 3rd week
of development, three germ cell
layers become established,
ectoderm, mesoderm and
endoderm.
• During the middle of the 3rd week,
the dorsal midline ectoderm
undergoes thickening to form the
neural plate.
• The margins of the plate become
elevated, forming neural folds.
• A longitudinal, midline depression,
called the neural groove is formed.
• The 2 neural folds then fuse
together, to form the neural tube.
• Formation of the neural tube is
completed by the middle of the
fourth week of development.
 Neural Tube Development
Three-vesicles stage (End of 4th Week)
The cranial part of
neural tube dilates to
form brain vesicle.
The caudal part
remains narrow and
cylindrical to give
spinal cord
The brain vesicle
grows and gives 3
dilatations named as:
• Prosencephalon
• Mesencephalon
• Rhombencephalon
Neural Tube Development
Five-vesicles stage (5th Week)
The Nervous
System

• It is the major
controlling,
regulatory, &
communicating
system in the body.
• It is the center of all
mental activity
including thought,
learning, behaviour
and memory.
• Together with the
endocrine system, the
nervous system is
Structural
Organization
Two subdivisions:
• Central Nervous System
(CNS):
 Consists of Brain &
Spinal cord
 Occupies the dorsal body
cavity
 Acts as the integrating
and command centers.
• Peripheral Nervous
System (PNS):
 Consists of part of
the nervous system
outside the CNS:
Nerves, ganglia,
Functional
Organization
• Two subdivisions:
 Sensory or afferent division:
Consists of nerve fibers that convey impulses
from receptors located in various parts of the
body, to the CNS.
 Motor or efferent division:
Consists of nerve fibers that convey impulses
from the CNS to the effector organs, muscles
and glands.
• Both sensory and motor subdivisions
are further divided into:
 Somatic division: concerned with skin,
skeletal muscles and joints.
 Autonomic division: concerned with the
Sensory Receptors
Neuronal Pathways
Nervous
Tissue
• Nervous system is
composed of
nervous tissue,
which contains two
types of cells:
 Nerve cells or
neurons
 Supporting cells
The junction site of two
or neuroglia
neurons is called a ‘synapse
(glia).
• Nervous system In the synapses the
contains millions of membranes of adjacent cells
neurons that vary in are in close apposition
their shape, size, (contiguity not continuity).
 Nervous tissue is
Grey matter:
organized as:
White matter:
Which contains : Which contains :
1-Cell bodies & 1-Processes of the neurons (no cell bodies)
2-Processes of the neurons, 2-Neuroglia and,
3-Neuroglia and 3-Blood vessels
4-Blood vessels.
Ganglion= A
group of Nucleus=
neurons A group of
outside the neurons
CNS within the
CNS

Remember
…
Tract
=A
group
Nerve =A of
group of nerve
nerve fibers fibers
(axons) (axons)
outside the within
CNS the
• Spinal nerves
supplying the upper
or lower limbs form
plexuses e.g.
brachial or lumbar
plexus.

• Nerve cell bodies that

are aggregated
outside the CNS are
called GANGLIA
Autonomic Nervous
System
• Neurones that
detect changes
and control the
activity of, the
viscera are
collectively
referred to as the
autonomic
nervous system.
• Its components
are present in
both the central
and peripheral
SYMPATHETIC & PARASYMPATHETIC
SYSTEMS
• The autonomic nervous
system is divided into
two anatomically and
functionally distinct
parts:
• Sympathetic: Or
Thoracolumbar outflow
• Parasympathetic: Or
Craniosacral outflow.
• Sympathetic and
parasympathetic divisions
are generally have
antagonistic effects on the
structures which they
innervate.
• E.g. Sympathetic increases
• The autonomic
nervous system
innervates:
• Smooth muscle,
• Cardiac muscle,
• Secretory glands.
• It is an important
part of the
homeostatic
mechanisms that
control the
internal
environment of the
body.
PARTS OF THE
BRAIN

• Cerebral
hemispher
es
• Diencepha
lon
• Cerebellu
m
• Brain
stem
CEREBRAL • The largest
HEMISPHERES part of the
brain.
• They have
elevations,
PARIETAL called gyri.
FRONTA • Gyri are
L separated by
depressions
called sulci.
TEMPORAL
• Each
OCCIPITA
L
hemisphere is
divided into
lobes.
• Lobes are
separated by
deeper
grooves
called
fissures or
TISSUE OF THE CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES
• The outer layer is
the gray matter
or cortex.
• Deeper is located
the white matter,
composed of
bundles of nerve
fibers, carrying
impulses to and
Basal nuclei
from the cortex.
• Basal nuclei are
gray matter and
are located deep
within the white
matter.
• They help the
motor cortex in
regulation of
voluntary motor
DIENCEPHALON
The diencephalon is located
between the 2 hemispheres
and is linked to them and to
the brainstem.

The major structures of the

diencephalon are the
Thalamus, Hypothalamus
and Epithalamus.
BRAIN STEM

The
The brainstem
brainstem has
has three
three
parts: Midbrain,
parts: Midbrain, Pons
Pons
and Medulla
and Medulla
oblongata.
oblongata.
 CEREBELLUM

Cerebellum
Cerebellum has has 22 cerebellar
cerebellar hemispheres
hemispheres with
with convoluted
convoluted
surface.
surface.
It
It has
has an
an outer
outer cortex
cortex of
of gray
gray matter
matter and
and an
an inner
inner region
region of
of
white
white matter.
matter.
 • Brain is bathed by the
cerebrospinal fluid
BRAIN VENTRICLES (CSF)
• Inside the brain, there
are ventricles filled
with CSF
• There are 4 ventricles
 2 lateral
ventricles:
One in each
hemispheres
 3rd ventricle:
in the
diencephalon
 4th ventricle:
between the Pons,
medulla oblongata
& the cerebellum
CSF
CSF is
by
is constantly
by the
constantly produced
the choroid
produced
choroid plexuses
plexuses
CEREBROSPINAL FLUID
inside
inside each ventricle.
each ventricle

Inside the brain, CSF flows

from the lateral ventricles
Most of the CSF
to the 3rd
rd and 4th
th ventricles
drains from the 4th
From the 4th ventricle, ventricle in the
part of the CSF flows subarachnoid space
down in the central canal around the brain and
of the spinal cord. returns to the dural
sinuses through the
arachnoids villi.