Lecture 1 CBNS 106

What is Neuroscience?

Neuroscience is the study of all aspects of nervous system function from molecular to cellular to systems to cognition (behavior)

central nervous system includes the

• brain

• spinal cord

the peripheral nervous system inlcudes

• somatic

  • somatic motor

  • somatic sensory

• autonomic

  • sympathetic

  • parasypathetic

A

B

C

D

Dorsal

ventral

lateral

medial

Cerebrum

right hemisphere receives sensation from and controls movement of left side of body and vice versa

cerebellum

movement control center; Left hemisphere control left side of body; right controls right

brain stem

Relays information from cerebrum to the spinal cord and cerebellum, and vice versa. Controls vital functions, breathing, consciousness, and control of body temperature

1

2

3

4

5

6

A

B

C

Motor

Somatic sensory

Auditory

Visual

Spinal Cord

• location

• function

• attached to the brainstem

• conduit of information (brain-body)

  • skin, joints, muscles

  • spinal nerves

    • dorsal root — sensory fibers (cell body outside the CNS)

    • ventral root — outgoing motor fibers (cell body inside CNS, but project axons to the PNS)

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

• Nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord

• Somatic PNS: innervates skin, joints, muscles

  • dorsal root ganglia: clusters of neuronal cell bodies outside the spinal sord that contain somatic sensory axons

  • ventral root — outgoing motor fibers (cell body inside CNS, but project axons to the PNS)

• autonomic PNS: innervates internal organs, blood vessels, glands

afferent nerves

(“carry to“: carry information toward a particular point)

efferent nerves

(“carry from“): carry information away from a point

afferent nerve

efferent nerve

Somatic Nervous System

all the spinal nerves that innervate the skin, the joints and the muscles that are under voluntary control (command the skeletal muscles)

Automatic Nervous System (ANS)

• innervates glands, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscle (the viscera)

• has both sensory and motor components

• the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems have antagonistic properties