nervous system notes

Anatomy & Physiology

Chapter 7: Nervous System

A.   Functions

a.    Monitor changes-Sensory input= gathering information. To monitor changes occurring inside and outside the body. Changes= stimuli

b.    Integration- To process and interpret sensory input and decide if action is needed.

c.    Motor output- A response to integrated stimuli, the response activates muscles or glands.

B.    Structural classification

a.    Central nervous system-Brain, spinal cord.

b.    Peripheral nervous system-Nerves outside the brain and spinal cord: spinal nerves, cranial nerves.

c.    Sensory(afferent) division- Nerve fibers that carry information to the central nervous system from our five senses.

d.    Motor(efferent) division- Nerve fibers that carry impulses away from the central nervous system( to muscles or glands).

                                          i.    Somatic-Voluntary, you control it.

                                        ii.    Autonomic-Involuntary, happens on its own.

C.    Nervous tissue

a.    Neuroglia

                                          i.    Astrocytes

                                        ii.    Microglia

                                       iii.    Ependymal cells

                                       iv.    Oligodendrocytes

                                         v.    Satellite cells

                                       vi.    Schwann cells

b.    Neurons

                                          i.    Major regions

1.     cell body

2.    outside body

a.    dendrites

b.    axons

                                                                                          i.    terminals

                                                                                        ii.    synaptic cleft

                                                                                       iii.    synapse

                                                                                       iv.    myelin sheath

1.     Schwann cells

2.    Nodes of Ranvier

                                        ii.    Locations

1.     Gray matter

2.    Nuclei

3.    Ganglia