Nervous System ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY BLOCK 8 I. FUNCTIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM A.OVERVIEW Nervous System Involved in some way in nearly every body function Considered as a communication function Receiving signals from and sending commands to different areas of the body Communication of the nervous system helps to coordinate the body functions to maintain homeostasis A.FUNCTIONS Major Functions of the Nervous System (RICME) Receiving Sensory Input Sensory receptors monitor external and internal stimuli We are aware sensations of vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch, pain, body position and temperature because of the stimuli At subconscious levelblood pH, blood gases and blood pressure are processed Integrating information Major organs Brain Spinal cord Organs process sensory input and initiating responses Input may produce an immediate response be stored as memory or ignored Controlling muscles and glands Skeletal muscles normally contract when stimulated by nervous system Thus, by controlling skeletal muscle, nervous system controls major movements of the body Nervous system also participates in controlling cardiac muscle, smooth muscle and many glands Maintaining homeostasis Nervous system’s ability to detect, interpret and respond to changes in internal and external conditions System can stimulate or inhibit the activities of other systems to help maintain a constant internal environment Establishing and Maintaining Mental Activity Brain is center of mental activity including consciousness, memory and thinking II. DIVISIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM Nervous System Divided into Major divisions Central nervous system Brain Spinal cord Peripheral nervous system All nervous tissue outside the central nervous system (nerves and ganglia) oFunctions to link CNS with various parts of the body oCarries information about the different tissues of the body to the CNS and carries commands from the CNS that alter body activities ‘ -70mv, -90 would represent hyper-polarization and +30 is the action potential. Sensory Division of PNS Also known as afferent (toward) division Conducts action potentials from sensory receptors to the CNS Sensory Neurons Neurons that transmit action potentials from the periphery to the CNS Motor Neurons Neurons that transmit action potentials from the CNS toward the periphery Motor Divisions of PNS Efferent (away) division Conducts action potentials from CNS to effector organs such as muscles and glands Can be subdivided by type of effector being innervated 1 of 21OUTLINE I. Functions of the Nervous System Integumentary system A. Overview II. Divisions of the Nervous system A. Epidermis III. Cells of the nervous System A.
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