Nervous System Organization and Function

Functions

orientation

coordination

conceptual thought

General plan

central nervous system (CNS)

brain

spinal cord

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

cranial nerves

spinal nerves

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

sympathetic

parasympathetic

Nervous tissue

neurons

cell body (perikaryon)

dendrites

axons

myelin sheath

Schwann cells

nodes of Ranvier

synapses

classification of neurons

unipolar

bipolar

multipolar

neuroglia

astrocytes

fibrous, white matter

protoplasmic, gray matter

ependymal cells

oligodendrocytes

microglia

nerves

investments

endoneurium

perineurium

epineurium

tracts

white matter of the CNS

ganglia

sensory

autonomic

nuclei and nerve centers

gray matter of the CNS

peripheral nerve endings

receptors

effector nerves

motor end-plate

synapse

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Questions for thought
1.		Using a labeled diagram, present the structure of a typical multipolar neuron.
2.		Illustrate the basic types of neurons and explain why many consider “pseudounipolar” to be the preferred name.
3.		List the basic types of CNS neuroglia, giving descriptions and functions of each type.
4.		What are the three basic operations that the nervous system performs? Give sufficient examples of each to support your design.
5.		Describe the components of the peripheral nervous system and discuss the functionality of each part.

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Links

Referenced sites
Other sites
- An exhaustive list of neurohistology sites, provided by Prof. Katalin Hegedüs at the University of Debrecen, Hungary
- BrainInfo, a valuable resource for finding primate brain structures and information about those structures
- The interactive brain atlas, from the folks at BrainMaps.org

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