the central nervous system (c.n.s) mindarie senior college 3a/3b human biological science

The Central Nervous System(C.N.S)

MINDARIE SENIOR COLLEGE3A/3B HUMAN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

The Central Nervous System is made up of

the brain and the spinal cord.

The brain

The brain

The spinal cord

Acknowledgement: Picture of model from Mentone Educational Centre B13

The main parts of the CNS (left side facing)

cerebellum

cerebrum

Spinal cord

Acknowledgement: Picture of model from Mentone Educational Centre C15

The main parts of the CNS (right side facing)

cerebellum

cerebrum

spinal cord

Acknowledgement: Picture of model from Mentone Educational Centre C15

Cerebrum features

• outermost layer contains the cerebral cortex (grey matter)

• middle layer contains the white matter

• innermost layer contains grey matter called the basal ganglia

Cerebrum

hypothalamus

thalamus

mid-brain

pons varolii

medulla oblongata

cerebellum

spinal cord

cerebral cortex

cerebrum

Acknowledgement: Picture of model from Mentone Educational Centre C15

The cerebral cortex

Acknowledgement: Picture of model from Mentone Educational Centre C15

Functional areas of the cerebral cortex

Motor area for speech

Primary auditory area

Auditory association area

Primary sensory area

Primary motor area

Speech

Primary visual areaVisual

association area

Acknowledgement: Picture of model from Mentone Educational Centre C15

The functional areas of the cerebral cortex

• thinking• reasoning• learning• memory• intelligence• sense of responsibility• perception of the senses• initiation and control of voluntary muscle

contraction

Cerebral cortex

hypothalamus

thalamus

mid-brain

pons varolii

medulla oblongata

cerebellum

spinal cord

cerebral cortex

cerebrum

Acknowledgement: Picture of model from Mentone Educational Centre C15

The functional areas of the cerebrum

• sensory areas interpret impulses from receptors.

• motor areas control muscular movements.

• association areas are involved with intellectual and emotional processes.

Cerebrum

hypothalamus

thalamus

mid-brain

pons varolii

medulla oblongata

cerebellum

spinal cord

cerebral cortex

cerebrum

Acknowledgement: Picture of model from Mentone Educational Centre C15

The hypothalamus regulates:

• heart rate• body temperature• movement of food through the alimentary canal• food and water intake• patterns of waking and sleeping• contraction of the urinary bladder• sexual cycles• sensory information from internal organs• associated with fear and anger• the release of hormones from the pituitary gland

Hypothalamus

hypothalamus

thalamus

mid-brain

pons varolii

medulla oblongata

cerebellum

spinal cord

cerebral cortex

cerebrum

Acknowledgement: Picture of Model from Mentone Educational Centre C15

The medulla oblongata regulates:

• heartbeat through its cardiovascular centre

• breathing rhythm through its respiratory centre

• the diameter of blood vessels through its vasomotor centre

Medulla oblongata

hypothalamus

thalamus

mid-brain

pons Varolii

medulla oblongata

cerebellum

spinal cord

cerebral cortex

cerebrum

Acknowledgement: Picture of model from Mentone Educational Centre C15

The spinal cord

The action of the spinal cord

Sensory neurons pick up signals from the

skin and transfer that information to

connector neurons in the spinal cord and/or

brain.

This information is relayed on to the motor

neurons in the spinal cord to illicit a

response.

se

nsor

y ne

uron

connector neuron

mot

or n

euro

n

Acknowledgement: Picture taken from Newton & Joyce, Human Perspectives Book 2 Fig 21.3 Revised Edition 2000 pg 268

se

nsor

y ne

uron

connector neuron

mot

or n

euro

n

Acknowledgement: Picture taken from Newton & Joyce, Human Perspectives Book 2 Fig 21.3 Revised Edition 2000 pg 268