Human Nervous System

Central and Peripheral

A General Sense

An Overview of the Nervous System:

Central Nervous System -Brain -Spinal Cord Peripheral Nervous System

Sensory Neurons -carry messages towards spinal cord from sensory receptors

Motor Neurons -carry signals away from CNS

Somatic System: Voluntary Nerves --neurons control skeletal muscles

Autonomic System: Visceral, Involuntary --heart, blood vessels, digestive organs, smooth muscle

Sympathetic Division --fight or flight --activated by stress

Parasympathetic Division: --Routine

Nervous System Cells

Called neurons Neurons have long axons that enable them to transmit signals. Many neurons together are called a nerve. Each nerve has a dorsal root (info into the CNS) and a ventral root (info out from CNS to body).

Neuron Anatomy

Anatomy of a Neuron

Cell body main part Dendrite receives action potential (stimulation) from other neurons Axon branches from cell body, where the action potential occurs Axon terminal end of an axon Myelin sheath lipid layer for protection over neurons that allows for increase in speed of signal transmission; made by Schwann cells Nodes of Ranvier gaps in myelin sheath along the axon, where most Na+ pumps are located Synaptic Cleft gap between neurons; between the axon terminal of 1 neuron and the dendrite of a 2nd neuron

Anatomy of a Neuron-Draw this!

Central Nervous System (CNS)

BRAIN About 1.4 kg, 2% of body weight About 100 billion neurons 12 pairs of cranial nerves are connected to the human brain
Example: Pupil reflex in response to bright light, to avoid damage to retina. Nerves that control this reflex are connected to the brain. Others: blinking, Hering-Breuer reflex

Starts at the medulla oblongata (in the brain) Outer area is made up of the axons of motor and sensory neurons: white matter Inner, rigid core made up of motor neuron cell bodies: gray matter 31 pairs of spinal nerves branch out to the body Spinal Reflexes: these dont go to the brain, instead they go to the spinal cord--patellar reflex

Spinal Cord

The Patellar Reflex

Peripheral Nervous System

(Motor and Sensory)

Motor Division: signals away from CNS Somatic nervous system is for voluntary muscle control. These neurons control the skeletal muscles. Also some spinal reflexes. EX = patellar reflex Autonomic nervous system is automatic. Control of heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, smooth muscle, etc.
This has 2 separate divisions: sympathetic and parasympathetic

Autonomic: Sympathetic Division & Parasympathetic Division

Sympathetic: Shunting of blood from one part of body (ex = stomach to heart) to another. Activated by physical or emotional stress. Fight or Flight response. Parasympathetic: Routine life, conserves energy, heart rate lowers, digestive organs back to normal. Rest and Ruminate response.

Autonomic NS: Parasympathetic and Sympathetic Controls

Peripheral Nervous System Sensory Division

Sensory neurons carry messages toward the CNS from sensory receptors all over body. Sensory receptors act as energy transducers. A transducer is a device for converting a nonelectrical signal into an electrical one. In this case, the electrical signal produced is the action potential of a nerve. Sensory receptors are in sense organs, such as eyes, ears, mouth, nose, skin and different regions of the brain respond to different signals.

Warm Up

Thursday 1/4/07

Answer:

What are the two types of neurons of the Peripheral Nervous System and what do they do?

Types of Sensory Receptors

Stimulus Light Mechanical Type of Sensory Receptor Photoreceptors Mechanoreceptors Location Retina Under the skin, inner ear
Hypothalamus, under the skin

Heat Pressure Chemicals

Thermoreceptors Baroreceptors Chemoreceptor

Walls of some arteries Mouth, nose

Transmission of neural signals: How it Works

In general, the signaling activity of the nervous system is composed of electrical activity within neurons and chemical flow between neurons. Quite a complex network! 200 years ago found out that a recently dead animal will still contract muscles if an electrical stimulation is sent through.

Within one neuron

The resting potential of a neuron is -70 millivolts. The inside of the cell is relatively more negative than the outside, due to an imbalance of ions and some negatively charged proteins inside. When a dendrite/cell body is stimulated (pressure, light, air vibrations, etc.), membranes become temporarily permeable to Na+ ion at the site of stimulation (triggers these gates to open). Na+ ions rush into the cell, through gated protein channels, and the inside becomes more positive. This reverse of polarity begins an action potential. The action potential starts where the cell body meets the axon. Threshold potential is about -50 millivolts, action potential is about +30 millivolts. Gated channels keep opening along the axon, and Na+ continues to enter. Much like fire burns down a rope. Action potential continues from start of axon to terminal, always in one direction.

And even more AH!

Shortly after Na+ channels open, they close, and the K+ channels open, allowing K+ ions to leave the cell, and the resting potential returns. The neuron cannot generate another action potential during this time. Na+ gates close, K+ flow out returns the neuron to resting potential. This period is called the refractory period. The Na+/K+ pump (that we learned about in active transport) pumps away to keep the proper concentrations of ions across the membrane. This requires lots of energy ATP!

Diagram of action potential through an axon

Transmitting to another neuron

When the Action Potential reaches the terminal, Ca+2 gates open, Ca+2 comes into the cell. Increase in Ca+2 concentration causes vesicles to fuse with the pre-synaptic membrane and release neurotransmitters into the synapse. Neurotransmitters bind to receptor proteins on the post-synaptic membrane of the next neuron, which signals Na+ gates to open and the action potential starts all over again.

Examples of Neurotransmitters
Acetylcholine: in skeletal muscles Norepinephrine and Epinephrine: respond to stress Dopamine & Serotonin: in the brain Enzymes break down neurotransmitters so neurons are not over stimulated. Ex. = cholinesterase (breaks down acetylcholine).

A Little Quiz

1. What is the potential for the resting neuron? 2. What is the potential for a neuron that is sending an action potential? 3. When a neuron goes from its resting potential to its action potential which ion moves? Where does the ion move? How does it move? Active or Passive? 4. When a neuron goes from its action potential to its resting potential which ions move? Where do they move? How does it move? Active or Passive?

A Few More

5. Where in the neuron is the presynaptic membrane? (axon, cell body, or dendrite) 6. What happens when the action potential reaches the presynaptic membrane? 7. What happens when the neurotransmitter binds to the receptors on the postsynaptic membrane?