3.

2 THE ROLE OF HUMAN NERVOUS

SYSTEM
 Human Nervous System

• Consists of huge networking of nerves

cells or neurones
• Divided into 2 subsystem :
– Central nervous system (CNS).
– Peripheral nervous system (PNS).
 Human Nervous System

Central Nervous System Peripheral Nervous System

(CNS) (PNS)

Spinal Cranial Spinal

Brain cord nerves nerves
 Human Nervous System

• CNS consists of BRAIN & SPINAL CORD.

• PNS consists all nerve tissues OUTSIDE
the CNS (cranial nerves & spinal nerves).
• PNS consists of 12 pairs of cranial nerves
& 31 pairs of spinal nerves.
Spinal
nerves
 The Role Of Human Nervous System
• PNS links receptors & effectors to the CNS.
• Cranial nerves send impulses to & from
brain.
• Spinal nerves send impulses to & from
spinal cord
• Generally nervous system divided into 3
components :
– Sensory receptors.
– Control/integrating centre.
– Effectors.
 The Role Of Human Nervous System
• Sensory receptors detect impulses & generated
nerve impulses. Then it carried out through
afferent nerve/pathway to integrating centre for
interpret
• Integrating centre receives impulses from various
receptors. The information then interpret &
generate new impulses for action.
• Impulses then relayed along efferent pathway to
effectors for action/response.
• Coordinate parts of the body to give appropriate
response to the stimulus
 STIMULI
Receptors Receptor detect the stimuli
Transmit impulses
Af
fe IMPULSES
re
nt
pa
thw
STIMULI ay CNS interpret impulses
Then transmit new impulses

Peripheral Control /
Nervous Integrating
System
centre IMPULSES
Ef RESPONSE
fer
en
t pa
thwa
y
Peripheral
Nervous
System Effectors
Effectors respond / take action
THE BRAIN
 Parts Of The Human Brain
3 main parts of human brain.

Cerebrum Medulla
oblongata.
Cerebellum.

Other parts of human brain.

Thalamus Hypothalamus

Pituitary gland.
Hypothalamus
Thalamus

Pituitary gland

Spinal cord

Vertebra
 Main parts of the brain
1. Cerebrum
• Largest and most complex part
• Outer region is the cerebral cortex
• Divided into 2 halves:
i) Left cerebral hemisphere – controls the
right side of the body
ii) Right cerebral hemisphere – controls the
left side of the body
• Receives sensory input, integrate functions before
commanding appropriate responses & coordinates the
activities of the other parts of the brain
• Controls voluntary actions, receives & interprets
impulses from sensory organs & controls behavior &
emotion
vision
 Main parts of the brain

1. Cerebellum
• Located above the medulla oblongata & partly
beneath the cerebrum
• Controlling & maintaining posture and balance
of the body, controlling & coordinating
muscular activities & helping promote smooth
voluntary movements
• Evaluates information, sends a plan for
coordinated movements back to cerebrum &
cerebrum will then sends appropriate
commands to the muscles.
 Main parts of the brain

1. Medulla oblongata
• Lowest part of the brain, connects directly to
the spinal cord & smallest component of the
brain
• Controls all involuntary actions & coordinates
all reflex actions
4. Hypothalamus
• Maintain homeostasis & regulating sleep,
hunger, thirst, body temperature, water
balance & blood pressure
 Main parts of the brain

1. Pituitary glands
• Secrete hormones which influence other
glands & body function
3. Thalamus
• Sorting information which go in & out of the
cerebral cortex
• Integrates the information from the sensory
receptors to the cerebrum by enhancing
certain signal & blocking others
THE SPINAL CORD
 What is Spinal Cord?

• Contained within the vertebral column

• Surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid (absorb
shock & provide nutrients)
• Consist of:
4. Grey matter – consist mainly of cell bodies of
neurones
5. White matter – comprises myelin-coated axon
of neurones that extend the whole length of
the spinal cord
 What is Spinal Cord?

• Spinal nerves emerge from the spinal cord

through dorsal root & ventral root
• Dorsal root – contain axons of the afferent
neurones (conduct nerve impulses from sensory
receptors to the spinal cord) & the cell bodies of
afferent neurones are clustered in the dorsal root
ganglion
• Ventral root – contain the axons of the efferent
neurones (conduct nerve impulses away from the
spinal cord to the effectors)
• Dorsal & ventral roots join to form spinal nerve
The Structure of Spinal Cord
 Main Functions of Spinal Cord

1. Process certain types of sensory

information & sends out responses via
the efferent neurones
2. Contain neurones that convey signals to
& from the brain
3. Contain the neural pathway for reflexes
THE NEURONE
 What is a neurone?

• The basic functional unit of the nervous

system
• Specialised to generate and transmit impulse
• Possesses:
d) A cell body – consist of a cytoplasm and
a nucleus
e) branches that are known as dendrons,
dendrites and axon
 Structure of neurone
• Dendrons – the branches that point outwards from the cell
body
• Dendrites – dendrons fine terminal branches
• Dendrons and dendrites receive messages/impulse towards
the cell body
• Axon – another type of projection that send impulse away
from the cell body
• Dendrons and axon are covered with fatty myelin sheath
formed by Schwann cells
• Nodes of Ranvier - uncovered parts between the Schwann
cells
• The myelin sheath act as an electrical insulator and Nodes
of Ranvier speed up the transmission of nerve impulses
along axon
 Myelin sheath

Nodes of Ranvier
 Types of neurones and their functions

• 3 basic types:
b) Afferent/sensory neurone
c) Efferent/motor neurone
d) Interneurone/relay neurone
 a) Afferent/sensory neurone

• has long dendron and short axon

• the cell body is at the side of the nerve
• receive and transmit impulse from the
sensory organ to the CNS
 b) Efferent/motor neurones

• has a short dendron and a long axon

• the cell body is at the end of the nerve
• transmit impulses out from the CNS to
tissues and organs in the body (effectors)
 c) Relay neurone/interneurone

• the cell body is at the end of the nerve

• located in the CNS
• send impulse between sensory neurones
and motor neurones
Transmission of impulse along the three types of
neurone
The transmission of information along the
neurone
• Information transmitted along neurone by way
of electrical signal called nerve impulses.
• Impulse – wave of positive charges that travel
along the axon to the synaptic terminal.
• Stimulation must be strong to allow
transmission of impulse in the neurone
• Once the magnitude or size of the stimulation
reaches a threshold level, a full-sized impulse
is generated to travel the entire length of the
axon.
SYNAPSE
 What is a synapse?

• Synapse - site where two neurone cells

communicate.
• Beyond the synaptic terminal is a narrow
space known as the synaptic cleft that
separates the synaptic terminal from the
dendrite of a receiving neurone.
 The Transmission of Information
Across Synapses
• The transmission of nerve impulses
across the synaptic cleft occurs via a
chemical process which involve chemical
substances known as neurotransmitters
 The Transmission of Information
Across Synapses
• Neurotransmitters stored in a small
synaptic vesicles clustered at the tip of a
synaptic terminal.
• The transmission of nerve impulses across
synapses is an active process and requires
energy which generate by mitochondria
(abundant at the synaptic terminal).
 The Transmission of Information
Across Synapses
• After relayed its message,
neurotransmitter is rapidly broken down
by enzymes or taken up again by the
synaptic terminal and recycled.
• There are many types of
neurotransmitter; acetylcholine,
noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine.
 Functions of synapse

• Controlling and integrating the nerve

impulses
• Facilitating the transmission of nerve
impulses in one direction
Mode of Transmission of Impulses Along the
Neurone
1. A neurone:
b) Transmits information in the form of electrical
signals.
c) Produces an impulse which is like an electrical
current passing along its length.
4. Conduction of nerve impulses:
 Involves changes of charges on the side and
outside of a neurone
 Involves ions of which the most important are
sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+).
 Mode of Transmission Along the Neurone
• Key processes which occur before, during and
after an impulse passes along a neurone.
b) When at rest, the surface membrane of a
neurone is polarised (more positive charges on
the outside and more negative charges in the
cytoplasm)
Mode of Transmission Along the Neurone

a) An impulse start when a stimulation

causes this polarised membrane to
depolarise (charges reversed) section
by section down the neurone.
Mode of Transmission Along the Neurone
a) Repolarisation occurs (just behind the
depolarised section) soon after.
Voluntary Action of the Skeletal Muscle
Action that under conscious control such as
walking …..
Voluntary action of the skeletal muscles is
governed by the cerebral cortex of the cerebrum.
 Involuntary Action of the Skeletal
Muscle
 Involuntary action that involve skeletal muscles allow
immediate actions that does not require conscious effort.
 Example: if a finger touches a hot stove or pricked with a
sharp pin the reaction is to pull the finger away
immediately.
 When the responses to the stimuli are involuntary, they are
called reflexes.
 Reflexes are rapid, automatic responses to stimuli.
 The nerve pathway involved in a reflex action is called a
reflex arc.
 A simple reflex arc involves communication between the
neurones in the peripheral nervous system and the spinal
cord.
 Reflexes
1. Provide a means for immediate withdrawal from
dangerous stimuli.
2. Coordinate rapid automatic responses without the need
for instructions from the brain.
3. The pulling away of fingers from a sharp pin or hot stove
involves three types of neurones: afferent neurone,
interneurone and efferent neurone.
4. Knee-jerk reflex involves the simplest neural circuit
because it involves only two kinds of neurones: afferent
neurone and the efferent neurone.
Involuntary Action of Smooth Muscles, Cardiac
Muscles or Glands
 The autonomic nervous system
 Controls involuntary actions involving the glands,
the cardiac muscles of the heart and the smooth
muscles of the internal organ.
 Connects the medulla oblongata and
hypothalamus with the internal organs and
regulates the internal body processes that not
require conscious effort.
 Involuntary Action of Smooth Muscles,
Cardiac Muscles or Glands
1. The autonomic nervous system can be divided
into:
b) The sympathetic system
c) The parasympathetic system
- These system work together, one activating
(sympathetic system) and other inhibiting
(parasympathetic system) the action.
 1. Prepares the body for stressful situations
Sympathetic or an emergency, in which the responses
system are associated with “fight or flight”.
4. Increases the pulse rate, blood pressure
and breathing rate.
6. Slow down the digestive system so that
more blood is available to carry oxygen to
the brain, heart and muscle

1. Prepares the body during ordinary

Parasympathetic situations or brings on the responses
system associated with a relaxed state.
4. Decreases the pulse rate, blood pressure
and breathing rate.
6. Stimulates the digestive system to
continue breaking down food.
 Disease of the Nervous System

1. Parkinson's disease
b) Progressive disorder of the CNS that typically affects
victims around the age of 60 years onward
c) Affects muscular movements, causing tremors of the
arms, jaws, legs and face.
d) Experience difficulty in maintaining normal postures
and experience impaired balance and coordination.
 Disease of the Nervous System

1. Alzheimer’s disease
b) A neurological disorder – loss of neurones in area of
the brain for memory and other mental abilities;
c) Affects victims around the age of 60 years onwards,
causes the loss of reasoning and the ability to care for
one self.
Quiz
1. Which neurone transmit nerve impulses from the
central nervous system to the effector?
1. The diagram shows the pathway of nerve impulses.

Which statement is true?

B. P transmit nerve impulses from R to S.
C. R receives nerve impulses from S.
D. T causes the finger to respond
E. S transmit nerve impulses from the central nervous system to Q
1. The diagram shows a neurone of a mammal.

What is the function of this neurone?

B. To produce adrenaline
C. To connect to another efferent neurone
D. To send an impulse from a receptor to the central nervous
system
E. To send an impulse from the central nervous system to an
effector
 Which statement is incorrect?

B. Afferent neurones transmit nerve impulses from the receptors

to the CNS.
C. Efferent neurones transmit nerve impulses from the effectors
to the CNS.
D. Interneurones connect the afferent and efferent neurones in
the CNS.
E. Efferent neurones transmit nerve impulses from the CNS to
the effectors.
1. The diagram shows a neurone.

What is the part labelled X called?

A Nucleus
B Dendrite
C Myelin Sheath
D Node of Ranvier
 Exercise

• Do checkpoint 3.2 on page 89.

• Do question 1 and 3 only.
3. State the role of the nervous system.
4. Draw and label a simple diagram of a synapse.
Describe the transmission of information
across a synapse.