Central Nervous System

The Spinal Cord

 Central Nervous System (CNS)
•Brain and Spinal Cord

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

•Nervous tissue outside the CNS
•Sensory receptors and nerves

Sensory Division Motor Division

•Transmits action potentials from sensory •Carries action potentials away from the
af-: toward receptors to the CNS CNS in cranial nerves or spinal nerves ef-: away
-ferent: to carry afferent nerves efferent nerves from

Sympathetic Division
Most active during physical activity
Somatic
Autonomic Nervous Nervous
Parasympathetic Division System (ANS) System
Regulates resting functions •Innervates cardiac muscle, •Innervates skeletal
smooth muscle, and glands muscle.
•Always excitatory
Enteric Nervous System
Controls the Digestive System
Effector:

Division:
 Central Nervous System (CNS)
vs
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

• Cluster of neurons in the CNS Nucleus (pl. nuclei)

• Cluster of neurons in the PNS Ganglion (pl. ganglia)

• Bundles of neuron processes (axons) in CNS Tracts

• Bundles of neuron processes (axons) in PNS Nerves

 Central Nervous System

Brain 12 pairs of cranial nerves

Spinal Cord 31 pairs of spinal nerves

Carries sensory and motor information between brain and

most other parts of body
 The Spinal Cord
– Housed within the
vertebral column (vertebral
canal)

– 18’’ long with a width of

0.5’’

– It extends from the brain to

the L1-L2 vertebrae

– Protected by three
membranes of CT:
meninges
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 Cervical
Region

Thoracic
Region

Lumbar
Region
Sacral Region 9
 Cross Section of Spinal Cord

Dorsal or posterior Posterior Median Sulcus

view

White Matter

Central Canal

Gray Matter

Ventral or anterior
Anterior Median Fissure
view
 Cross Section of Spinal Cord: White Matter

Posterior white columns

Lateral white
Lateral white
column
column

Anterior white columns

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Cross Section of Spinal Cord: Gray Matter

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 Cross section of the spinal cord:
Sensory and Motor fibers

Sensory axons

Mixed
nerve

Motor axons
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The spinal cord can be
divided into 31 segments
On the basis of the origin
Of the spinal nerves
  Reflexes
– Quick, automatic nerve responses triggered by specific
stimuli
– Basic building blocks of neural function
– A specific reflex produces the same motor response
each time
 Spinal reflexes
– Controlled by the spinal cord alone without input from
the brain
• Example: dropping a hot pan. Reflex causes release
of the pan before the information reaches the brain
and the pain is perceived

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 Reflexes: The route followed by nerve impulses to
produce a reflex is called a Reflex Arc

 Five components of a reflex arc

1. Sensory receptor
2. Sensory neuron
3. Information processing in CNS
4. Motor neuron
5. Effector

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 1- Reflexes
 Development of reflexes—innate or acquired
– Innate reflexes
• Basic neural reflexes formed before birth
• Genetically programmed (inborn)
• Examples: withdrawal, chewing, visual tracking

– Acquired reflexes
• Rapid, automatic learned motor patterns
• Repetition enhances them
• Examples: braking a car in emergency

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 2- Reflexes
 Motor response
– Somatic reflexes
• Control skeletal muscle contractions
– Superficial reflexes—stimuli in skin/mucous membranes
– Stretch or deep tendon reflexes (such as patellar, or “knee-jerk,”
reflex)
– Immediate—important in emergencies (slipping, cutting finger)
– Visceral reflexes (autonomic reflexes)
• Control other effectors
– Smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, or glands

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 3- Reflexes
 Complexity of neural circuit
– Monosynaptic reflex
• Single synapse—simplest reflex arc
• Sensory neuron synapses directly with motor neuron
• Fast response

– Polysynaptic reflex
• At least one interneuron between sensory neuron and
motor neuron; most common
• Slower response; delay increase with number of
synapses involved (longer path = longer delay)

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 b Stretch Reflex: Monosynaptic and somatic reflex

Receptor
Stretch (muscle
Spinal cord
spindle)

Stimulus REFLEX
ARC

Effector

Response Patellar reflex

KEY
Sensory neuron
(stimulated)
Motor neuron
(stimulated)
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c Withdrawal Reflex: Polysynaptic reflex
Distribution within gray matter horns
to other segments of the spinal cord

Painful
stimulus
Flexors
stimulated

Extensors
inhibited

This response occurs while

the pain sensations are
simultaneously ascending
to the brain
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 d Crossed Extensor Reflex: Polysynaptic reflex
To motor neurons in other
segments of the spinal cord

Extensors
inhibited
Flexors Extensors stimulated
stimulated
Flexors inhibited
KEY
Sensory neuron Motor neuron
(stimulated) (inhibited)
Excitatory Inhibitory
interneuron interneuron
Motor neuron
Painful (stimulated)
stimulus 25
 4- Reflexes

 Sites of information processing

– Spinal reflexes—processing occurs in spinal cord
– Cranial reflexes—processing occurs in brain

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Bundles of axons in the peripheral nervous system are also known as _____.

a) tracts
b) nerves
c) vessels
d) none of the above

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These neurons interpret information and coordinate responses.

a) motor neurons
b) sensory neurons
c) interneurons
d) dendritic spines

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Gray matter of the spinal cord contains

a) myelinated axons
b) Schwann cells and myelinated axons
c) unmyelinated axons and neuroglia
d) neuronal cell bodies and unmyelinated axons

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Spinal nerves are classified as “mixed” nerves because

a) they contain both afferent and efferent fibers

b) they contain the cell bodies of sensory neurons that
travel the dorsal and ventral rami
c) they carry mixed or conflicting information
d) axons of the ventral root carry sensory information to the
spinal cord and axons of the dorsal root control somatic
and visceral effectors

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