Terminology

• Nervous System


  A complex system that primarily serves as the body's control center, both physiologically & psychologically

  
• Functions of the Nervous System


  • Storage and processing of information
  • Stimulation of movement
  • Maintenance of homeostasis
  • Control of behavior, mood & thinking

  
• Central Nervous System


  Consists of the brain & the spinal cord which are protected by Bones, Cerebrospinal fluid & Meninges

  
• Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)


  Clear, colorless body fluid produced by the ventricles of the brain
• Meninges


  Membranes that line the skull & spinal cord (dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater)

  
• Parts of the Brain


  • Cerebrum
  • Diencephalon
  • Brainstem
  • Cerebellum

  
• Cerebrum


  Largest & uppermost part of the brain that initiates and coordinates movement and regulates temperature, speech, thinking, emotions and learning

  
• Diencephalon


  Upper end of the brain stem that coordinates with the endocrine system to release hormones (Thalamus, Hypothalamus)
• Brainstem


  Posterior part of the brain that adjoins with the spinal cord and is responsible for breathing, consciousness, blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep

  
• Cerebellum


  Coordinates & regulates muscular activity and balance
• Spinal Cord


  A cylindrical structure found in the vertebral column that transmits information to the brain through the spinal tracts

  
• Peripheral Nervous System


  Consists of the nerves & ganglia outside the brain and the spinal cord

  
• Spinal Nerves


  • 8 cervical
  • 12 thoracic
  • 5 lumbar
  • 5 sacral
  • 1 coccygeal
• Cells that make up the Nervous System


  • Neurons
  • Neuroglial cells

  
• Neuron


  Transmits impulses to & from the brain

  
• Structures of a Neuron


  • Dendrites
  • Soma or cell body
  • Axon
  • Myelin sheath
  • Neurilemma

  
• Glial or Neuroglial Cells


  Primarily functions to support the neurons
• Types of Nerve Fibers


  • Sensory or afferent
  • Motor or efferent
• Sensory or Afferent Nerve Fibers


  Receptors that receive information from the sensory organs & transmit this information to the central nervous system

  
• Motor or Efferent Nerve Fibers


  Neurons that transmit information from the central nervous system to the muscles & glands

  
• Nervous System Control


  • Somatic nervous system
  • Autonomic nervous system

  
• Somatic Nervous System


  Responsible for voluntary movements such as movement of the musculoskeletal system

  
• Autonomic Nervous System


  Controls involuntary movements such as heart beat

  
• Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid can help indicate the presence of infection through chemical analysis & microscopic examination
• Lumbar Puncture or Spinal Tap


  Procedure used to collect cerebrospinal fluid
• Electroencephalography (EEG)


  Monitoring method to record electrical activity of the brain
• Scans used to assess the structural changes of the spinal cord & the brain


  • Computed tomography
  • Magnetic resonance imaging
• Intracerebral Hematoma


  Collection of blood within the brain
• Hydrocephalus


  Accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the skull
• Aneurysm


  Weakening and bulging of the cerebral artery
• Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)


  Commonly referred to as stroke, disruption of the normal blood supply to the brain
• Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)


  Brief interruption in cerebral blood flow
• Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries


  • Excessive hyperflexion
  • Hyperextension
  • Vertical compression
• Surgical and Therapeutic Interventions


  • Craniotomy
  • Craniectomy
  • Cranioplasty
  • Neuroplasty
  • Neurorraphy
  • Neurolysis
• Medications used to treat Nervous System Disorders


  • Analgesics
  • Hypnotics
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Antipyretics
• Reproductive system


  The human organ system responsible for the production and fertilization of gametes and carrying of a fetus
• Components of the reproductive system


  • Male reproductive system
  • Female reproductive system

  
• Gonads


  Organs that produce gametes and hormones, including testes and ovaries
• Gamete


  A haploid cell that combines with another haploid gamete during fertilization, forming a single diploid cell called a zygote
• Genitalia


  External reproductive organs