THE CENTRAL

NERVOUS SYSTEM
 OBJECTIVES
Discuss the anatomy and physiology of the
central nervous system
 The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord.
 The Brain
 The brain is the most complex organ in the
human body; the cerebral cortex (the outermost
part of the brain and the largest part by
volume) contains an estimated 15–33 billion
neurons, each of which is connected to
thousands of other neurons.
 In total, around 100 billion neurons and 1,000
billion glial (support) cells make up the human
brain. Our brain uses around 20% of our body’s
total energy.
 Why is the BRAIN important?
 The brain is the command center that controls
the nervous system.
 When people damage different parts of the
brain, the people close to them may
notice changes in their personality, movement,
vision, sleep, and other important bodily
functions.
 Three Main Parts of the Brain:
 1. The cerebrum
 2. The cerebellum
 3. The brain stem
 Cerebrum
 The cerebrum is the front part of the brain and
includes the cerebral cortex.
 This part of the brain is responsible for many
processes, including:
 initiating and controlling movement
 thinking
 emotion
 problem-solving
 learning
 Cerebral cortex
 The cerebral cortex covers the cerebrum and
has many folds. Due to its large surface area,
the cerebral cortex accounts for
50% of the brain’s total weight.
 The cerebral cortex is made of grey matter,
which is where the brain processes
information. It also has ridges (gyri) and folds
(sulci).
 The cerebral cortex has four lobes
Four Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex:
 Frontal lobe: responsible for planning,
reasoning, decision making, movement, and
personality.
 Parietal lobe: responsible for processing
sensory information, such as touch, pain,
temperature, and spatial awareness.
 Temporal lobe: responsible for hearing,
language, memory, and emotion.
 Occipital lobe: responsible for vision and visual
perception.
 The right side of the cerebral cortex, or
hemisphere, controls the left side of the body,
and the left hemisphere controls the right side
of the body. Each hemisphere communicates
with the other through the corpus callosum,
which is a bridge of white matter.
 Cerebellum
 The cerebellum, or “little brain,” is tucked
underneath the cerebrum at the back of the
head.
 It regulates balance and learned movements,
such as walking and fastening buttons, but it
cannot initiate movement.
 Because the cerebellum is sensitive to alcohol,
people will experiance problems with balance
and walking when they consume too much.
 Brainstem
 The brainstem is made up of the midbrain,
pons, and medulla. It connects the cerebrum to
the spinal cord.
 The midbrain is responsible for several
important functions that include hearing and
movement. It also helps formulate responses to
environmental changes, which include
potential threats
 The pons enables a range of bodily functions,
such as the production of tears, blinking,
focusing vision, balance, and facial expressions.
10 cranial nerves arise from the pons. These
connect to the face, neck, and trunk.
 The medulla regulates biological functions that
are essential for survival, such as heart rhythm,
blood flow, and breathing. This part of the
brain also detects changes in blood oxygen and
carbon dioxide levels. Reflexive responses such
as vomiting, swallowing, and coughing also
originate from the medulla.
 Brain Regions
 Basal ganglia: involved in the control of
voluntary motor movements, procedural
learning, and decisions about which motor
activities to carry out. Diseases that affect this
area include Parkinson’s disease and
Huntington’s disease.
 Cerebellum: mostly involved in precise motor
control, but also in language and attention. If
the cerebellum is damaged, the primary
symptom is disrupted motor control, known as
ataxia.
 Broca’s area: this small area on the left side of
the brain (sometimes on the right in left-
handed individuals) is important in language
processing.
 When damaged, an individual finds it difficult
to speak but can still understand speech.
Stuttering is sometimes associated with an
underactive Broca’s area.
 Hypothalamus: sitting just above the brain stem and
roughly the size of an almond, the hypothalamus
secretes a number of neurohormones and influences
body temperature control, thirst, and hunger.
 Thalamus: positioned in the center of the brain, the
thalamus receives sensory and motor input and
relays it to the rest of the cerebral cortex. It is
involved in the regulation of consciousness, sleep,
awareness, and alertness.
 Amygdala: two almond-shaped nuclei deep within
the temporal lobe. They are involved in decision-
making, memory, and emotional responses;
particularly negative emotions.
 The brain stem is composed of
_________

 A Brain buds and flowers

 A Pons
 B Pia matter
 C Corpus callosum
 D None of the above
Which part of the brain controls higher
mental activities like reasoning?

 A Temporal lobe
 B Frontal lobe
 C Medulla oblongata
 D All of the above
Which of the following statement is correct
about Cerebellum?

 A It regulates the muscular movement for