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

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.

Impulse Transmission

Structures of the brain

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

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 - Auditory and visual reflexes Pons -Relay sensory impulses -Regulate breathing Medulla Oblongata -Relay sensory impulses -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

Autonomic Nervous System Autonomic=Automatic/involuntary muscles Regulate visceral function

Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic Gray matter of the spinal cord Cholinergic preganglionic Adrenergic postganglionic Fight or flight Brainstem and sacral region 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?

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 Nervous System Function. Digital image. Apbrwww5.apsu.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar Synapse. Digital image. Blog.bufferapp.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar Action Potential. Digital image. Sandiego.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar Structures of the Brain. Digital image. Higheredbcs.wiley.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar The cerebellum midsagittal section and parasagittal section. Digital image. Classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar Central and Peripheral Nervous System. Digital image. Askabiologist.asu.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar Sensory Receptors in Skin. Digital image. Classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar