How the Nervous System Works

• The nervous system coordinates all of the activities in the body.

• It’s a complex network that allows communication between the brain and parts of the body.

• Examples of this include breathing, digesting food, sensing pain, feeling fear, etc.

• The nervous system is in two main parts.

• The first part is the CNS (central nervous system) which consists of the brain and spinal cord.

• The second part is the PNS (or peripheral nervous system) which consists of the nerve cells and the neurons. They are like a communication system.

Autonomic Nervous System

• nervous system) Controls the involuntary functions. (digestion & heart rate)

• Consists of a network of nerves divided into two smaller networks, (sympathetic nervous system & parasympathetic

Somatic Nervous System

• Involves involuntary responses under your control.

• Sensory neurons messages eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin to CNS.

Sections of the Brain• Cerebrum The Frontal Lobe The Parietal Lobe The Occipital Lobe The Temporal Lobe

• Cerebellum• Brain stem The Medulla Oblongata The Pons The Midbrain The Thalamus The Hypothalamus

Cerebrum• The Cerebrum is the largest most complex part of the brain• The Cerebrum has two sides which are called the left and

right hemispheres• The left hemisphere controls the right side of your body and

the right hemisphere controls the left side of your body• Each hemisphere has four lobes which are: The Frontal lobe The Parietal lobe The Occipital lobe The Temporal lobe

The Frontal Lobe• The Frontal lobe controls the use of language and voluntary

movements.• The prefrontal are part of intellect and personality

The Parietal Lobe• The Parietal lobe is in control of feeling hot, cold, pain and body position

in space• Damage to the left parietal lobe can result in Gerstmann's Syndrome. It

includes right and left confusion, difficulty with writing, difficulty with math, disorders in language, and inability to perceive objects normally

The Occipital Lobe• Controls the sense of sight

The Temporal Lobe• Plays a role in judgment, hearing, smell memory, and

thought.

Diseases and Disorders• Alzheimer’s Disease• Multiple Sclelerosis- The myelin sheaths surrounding nerves in the brain

and spinal cord are damaged, which affects the function of the nerves involved.

• Epilepsy• Cerebral Palsy• Parkinson’s Disease• Neurofibromatosis

How Interesting!• There are millions of nerve cells in a human body. This number

exceeds even the Milky Way.• By the time of its birth, the baby’s brain consists of around 10 million

nerve cells.

• As we grow older, the brain loses a gram each year.• The speed of message transmission to the brain can be as high as 180

miles per hour.

Questions• How many main parts does the nervous system contain?

• What do the two main parts of the nervous do?

• What does the Occipital Lobe do?

• What does the Temporal Lobe do?