October 25, 2019 [SCIENCE 10 – THIRD QUARTER]

The Nervous System - a system of cells, tissues, and organs that regulates
the body’s responses to internal and external stimuli.
The Structure of the Nervous System
Majo
Major Divisions

Peripheral
Central Nervous
The CNS serves as the main The PNS connects the Nervous
System (CNS)
processing center for the central nervous System (PNS)
entire nervous system to the organs
system.
and limbs.
Main Components Main Divisions

This serves as a This is an organ

channel for signals located within the
between the brain and skull that functions
Spinal Somatic
the rest of as organizer Autonomic
Cord
the body, and controls Brain and distributor of This system is Nervous
Nervous System
simple information for the associated with the System
musculoskeletal body. voluntary control of
reflexes without input
body. This system is
from the brain.
Main Parts associated with
the involuntary
control of body
movements

Cerebrum Cerebellum Brain Stem

Subdivisions

large, upper part of the

the part under the the part that connects the brain
brain that controls
cerebrum that controls to the spinal cord
activity and
posture, and controls automatic
thought
balance, and functions such as breathing,
coordination. digestion, heart rate, and blood
pressure.

Main Parts
Parasympathetic

Sympathetic it maintains body

Spinal
functions and
Nerves Cranial
restores the
Nerves it is activated when the body to normal or
the nerves that carry body is in a dynamic
relaxed mode.
motor and sensory the nerve fibers that role or
signals carry information into stress.
between the spinal and out
cord and the body. of the brain stem

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 October 25, 2019 [SCIENCE 10 – THIRD QUARTER]

The Nerve Cell

 The basic unit of the nervous system is the nerve cell. Nerve cells are called neurons.
 There are billions of neurons in the body.
 There are twelve to fourteen billions of neurons in one part of the brain alone.

Basic Parts of Neuron

 carry impulses towards the cell body

 A cell may have as many as 200 dendrites
 can be over one meter long

 containing the nucleus

root-like
structures

 carry impulses away from the cell body

 pass impulses to the dendrites of other neurons
or cell body of muscle cells.
 can be grouped together into cable-like bundles
called nerves.

 Neurons are cells with the special ability to carry signals or impulses.
 A nerve impulse is a combination of an electrical charge and a chemical reaction. It is not a flow of
electricity, but an electrochemical signal moving along a neuron.
 A nerve impulse cannot jump from one neuron to another. When a nerve impulse comes to the end of an
axon, it produces the chemical, called neurotransmitter, to be released.
 The chemical crosses the space between neurons called synapse and stimulates the nerve impulse to
start in the next dendrite.

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 October 25, 2019 [SCIENCE 10 – THIRD QUARTER]

 The nervous system is assisted by five sense organs - the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin. These
sense organs are constantly receiving information from the environment and sending messages to the
brain. These senses aid in the survival of human beings.
 A stimulus (plural: stimuli) is any factor in the environment that may trigger a nerve impulse.
 A response is a reaction to a stimulus.
 A stimulus is received by the body and a response is made.
 An organism must be able to respond to a stimulus in order to survive.
 Messages do not travel in both directions along the same neuron. Only the axon of the neuron releases
neurotransmitters that cross the space between neurons.
 Reaction time is the length of time between application of a stimulus and detection of a response.
 Neurons are specially intended for information processing and signaling. They relay and receive
messages (impulse) between the brain and body, and within the brain and spinal cord.
 Motor neurons transmit impulses from the brain to muscles, glands, or other neurons in the Peripheral
Nervous System (PNS).
 Sensory neurons transmit impulses from sensory nerves (receptor cells) to the Central Nervous System
(CNS).
 When a receptor such as an organ perceives a stimulus, the impulse is sent to the brain by the sensory
neurons, which then transmit information from one nerve cell to another. As the message reaches the
brain, it processes the information and commands an effector such as a muscle or an organ to respond.
The message coming from the brain is sent through the motor neurons.

The Endocrine System

 The endocrine system consists of glands that secrete chemicals called hormones to control various body
processes. This control system usually brings about slow changes in the body because chemical
messengers move more slowly than nerve impulses. The major glands in the body are the pituitary,
thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, adrenal, pancreas, ovaries, and testes.

Gland Location Hormones Released Function

Pituitary at the base of the brain Oxytocin, Vasopressin, stimulates growth, and
Growth Hormone, controls the functions of
Adrenocorticotropic other glands
Hormone (ACTH),
Prolactin, Luteinizing
Hormone, Follicle
Stimulating Hormone
(FSH)
Thyroid below the voice box Thyroxin, Calcitonin regulates body
metabolism, and causes
storage of calcium in
bones
Parathyroid in the neck Parathyromone controls the calcium
levels in your body, and
normalizes bone growth
Thymus in front of the heart Thymosin enables the body to
produce certain
antibodies
Adrenal on top of the kidneys Adrenaline prepares the body for
action, controls the

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 October 25, 2019 [SCIENCE 10 – THIRD QUARTER]

heart rate and

breathing in times of
emergency
Pancreas Between the kidneys Insulin, Glucagon regulates blood sugar
levels
Reproductive
- Testes (Males) Lower abdomen Androgen, Testosterone control maturation and
male characteristics
- Ovaries (Females) Lower abdomen Estrogen, Progesterone influence female
traits, and support
reproductive function

 HORMONAL IMBALANCE – a condition if the organ and hormones do not produce the regulated
amount of chemicals to your body that may result in an abnormality of your body.


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