Nervous System

Biology
Study Guides

Big Picture
The nervous system controls mental and physical activities, whether they are voluntary or involuntary. The nervous
system sends electrical signals around the body, allowing the body to react to its surroundings quickly. Without the
nervous system, we would not be able to function normally. The ability of the nervous system to monitor and respond
to the surrounding depends on the transmission of signals from one neuron to the next and within the neuron itself.

Key Terms
Nervous System: The organ system that carries electrical messages throughout the body.
Central Nervous System (CNS): Includes the brain and spinal cord.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Nerves that connect all parts of the body to the brain.
Nerve: A cable-like bundles of axons that make up the peripheral nervous system.
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): Controls all involuntary activities not under conscious control like breathing.
Somatic Nervous System (SNS): Controls voluntary activities that are under conscious control.
Neuron: The structural and functional units of the nervous system. Consists of three parts:
Cell Body: Contains the nucleus and other cell organelles.
Dendrite: Extends from the cell body and receives nerve impulses from other neurons.
Axon: An extension of the cell body that transmits nerve impulses to other cells.
Myelin Sheath: Outer layer of the axon that serves as an insulator for the axon. There are gaps on the myelin
sheath that allow the electrical signal to move along the axon quickly.
Glial Cells: Support neurons and produce myelin.
Nerve Impulse: Electrical signal transmitted by a neuron.
Synapse: Where an axon terminal meets another neuron cell.
Neurotransmitter: Chemical that transmits signals across synapses from the axon terminal of one neuron to the
dentrites of the next neuron.

Parts of the Nervous System Parts of the Brain

The nervous system is divided into two parts: The brain has three major parts:
1. Cerebrum: the main part of the brain, divided into
1.  Central nervous system (CNS): The brain and
4 lobes, controlling conscious functions:
spinal cord.
•  Frontal lobe: speech, reasoning, touch
•  The spinal cord connects the brain to the rest of
the body, moving from the brain stem down the
•  Parietal lobe: speech, taste, reading
back to the pelvis. •  Temporal lobe: hearing, smell
2.  Peripheral nervous system (PNS): All the neurons
•  Occipital lobe: vision
and sensory organs in the body not included in the 2. Cerebellum: Controls body movement
central nervous system. 3. Brain stem: The lowest part of the brain that
•  The PNS is connected to the CNS by nerves. This connects the brain to the spinal cord, sending
nervous system is divided into the sensory (sends nerve impulses between the two. It also controls
information to the central nervous system) and unconscious functions, including the heart rate and
motor (sends information to muscle and glands) breathing.
systems.
The motor system can be divided into:
•   Autonomic nervous system (ANS): Controls
your textbook and is for classroom or individual use only.
Disclaimer: this study guide was not created to replace

all involuntary actions (breathing, heart beating,

digestion, etc). This nervous system is divided into
two divisions: the sympathetic division puts the body
in “fight or flight mode,” and the parasympathetic
division controls non-emergency bodily functions
such as digestion.
•   Somatic nervous system (SNS): Controls all
voluntary and conscious actions. Also controls reflexes
– a very fast response that never goes through the Image Credit: NEUROtiker, CC-BY-SA 2.5
brain and is directly executed (such as moving your
hand away from a hot object). Figure: Cross-section of a brain

This guide was created by Rohit Ramkuamr, Amy Shen, and Jin Yu. To learn
more about the student authors, http://www.ck12.org/about/ck-12-interns/.
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v1.1.11.2012
Biology Nervous System cont .
Nerve Cells Nerve Impulses
Nervous tissues consist of neurons and glial Nerve impulses occur when there is a change in electrical charge
cells. Neurons transmit electrical signals called across the membrane of a neuron.
nerve impulses. •  All cells have an electrical charge based on concentration on
ions inside and outside of the cell.
Parts of a neuron
•  Sodium ions (Na+) and potassium ions (K+) are important in
•   Dendrites receive nerve impulses and pass transmitting nerve impulses.
them along the axon. •  When a neuron is in its resting state (not transmitting any
•  The axon serves as a roadway, allowing nerve impulses), it has a negative charge at around -70
neurons to travel along it before it branches milliVolts (its resting potential). The sodium-potassium
off at the end, called the axon terminal. pump maintains a difference in charge across the cell
•  Axons are covered in a myelin sheath, which membrane–the inside of the neuron is negatively charged
increases the speed of impulse transmission. compared to outside the cell.
•  The myelin sheath acts as an insulator, much •  During an action potential, the charge of a neuron
like the plastic around an electrical cord. Gaps suddenly reverses from negative to positive. Steps of an
in the myelin (called nodes of Ranvier) allow action potential:
impulses to travel along the axon quickly. •  Dendrites receive a stimulus (usually from the previous
•  Schwann cells are a type of glial cells that neuron).
supply myelin to the axons •  If the stimulus is strong enough, the first sodium channel
•  The axon terminal is where the neurons opens up, allowing Na+ ions to flow into the cell along
communicate with the cells. It passes impulses the concentration gradient.
onto the next nerve cell. •  Thiscauses other sodium channels to open up one by
one, and the nerve impulse is transmitted down the
neuron like a wave.
•  To prevent the signal from going backwards, each
sodium channel closes after the next one opens.
•  The neuron becomes positively charged, which signals
the next neuron to open its sodium channels and pass
on the signal.

Image Credit: Dhp1080, CC-BY-SA 2.5

Types of neurons:

•  Sensory neurons: Carry impulses from sensory

organs to the brain.
•  Motor neurons: Carry impulses from the brain
to certain muscles and glands, and signals for
them to carry out actions.
•  Interneurons: Carry impulses between sen- Image Credit: CK-12 Foundation, CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0
sory and motor neurons.
Communication Between Neurons
Steps of a reflex arc:
Neurons communicate with each other at synapses. Types of
•  Signal is received synapses:
•  Sensory neuron is activated •  Chemical
synapses: chemical signaling molecules are used
•  Interneuron passes the info to a motor neuron as messengers
•  Motor neuron is activated and causes a reaction •  Once a signal reaches the axon terminal, a
•  The signal never goes through the brain–it’s neurotransmitter is released across the synapse
just directly executed; that’s what makes •  The neurotransmitter binds to receptors on the next
reflexes so fast neuron and passes on the signal

•  Electrical synapses: ions are messengers

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Nervous System cont .

Biology
Sense Organs and Sensory Perception
Sensory receptors are special cells on every sense Hearing
organ (eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and skin) that respond
to a particular stimulus. Upon noticing a stimulus, the Sound waves enter the auditory canal, then the eardrum,
sensory receptors send nerve impulses to sensory and the cochlea. The sound waves move around the
nerves that then carry the nerve impulses to the brain hairs inside the ear, which send nerve impulses to the
to be interpreted. auditory nerve.

Image Credit: Chittka L, Brockmann, CC-BY 2.5

Sight
Light passes through the eye, which senses light, by
passing through the cornea, pupil, lens, and then the
retina, which contains receptor cells. These receptor
cells send nerve impulses to sensory nerves that then
goes to the brain.

Figure: Cross-section of the ear.

Balance
This system, which maintains the body's balance, is also
controlled by the ears. When your body moves, there is
fluid in the ear that moves with your head. Tiny hairs in
your ear sense this movement and sends messages to
the peripheral nervous system, which then controls your
Image Credit: ZStardust, body and makes sure you do not lose your balance.
Public Domain

Taste and Smell Touch

Both of these senses pertain to the body's ability to Because your sense of touch is your body's ability to
recognize chemicals. The taste receptors are the taste sense pressure, the pressure receptors on your skin,
buds on the tongue, and the odor receptors inside the tongue, lips, palms, and feet serve to send nerve
nose sense chemicals in the air. Both of these receptors impulses to the brain. Moreover, some of these receptors
send nerve impulses to the brain, which then interprets can also note differences in temperature.
these chemicals.

Drugs and the Nervous System

Psychoactive drugs, which include alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and marijuana, affect the central nervous system by
influencing the transmission of nerve impulses. Drug abuse is when people use psychoactive drugs without the approval
of a medical professional or for reasons the drug was not intended for, and drug addiction is the continued use of these
types of drugs.

Notes

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