1. Nervous System overview
Department of Biology, WCU

2. Introduction Control and communication Functions
Sensory (skin, temperature, pressure)
Process and interpret (brain)
Motor response (muscles, glands)

3. Organization CNS (brain, spinal cord) PNS (everything else) PNS
Sensory (afferent)
somatic fibers
visceral fibers

4. Organization PNS ANS Motor (efferent) Sympathetic Parasympathetic
SNS (voluntary)
ANS (involuntary)
ANS
Sympathetic
Parasympathetic

5. The neuron Structural unit Characteristics 1. Longevity
2. Cannot divide
3. High metabolic rate

6. Neuron structure Cell body Cell processes Nucleus (no centrioles)
Cytoplasm with ribosomes and ER
Cell processes
cytoplasmic extensions

7. Neuron structure Processes 1. Dendrites 2. Axons receive information
signals toward cell body
2. Axons
vary in length
impulses to next neuron

8. Impulse conduction Order of events Neuron etc.
dendrite, cell body, axon, synapse

9. Neural processing 1. Serial “all or nothing” manner end-to-end
e.g. quick reflex
reflex arc

10. Neural processing 2. Parallel input from different pathways
simultaneous processing
e.g. baking a cake