THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

The physical environment in which we live is constantly changing. The internal environment of the
body also undergoes constant changes (blood pressure, water concentration, etc.). So to ensure
survival it is essential that humans are aware of these changes and can respond to them.
Therefore we need a nervous system.

The function of the nervous system is therefore to allow the body to respond to internal and
external stimuli.

A stimulus refers to any change in normal conditions of the body e.g. changes in temperature,
light intensity, pH, pressure, smells, etc.

The human nervous system is divided into the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and
the peripheral nervous system (nerves branching throughout the body)
A. The Central Nervous system

• Consists of the brain and spinal cord.

• The brain is protected by:
1. The cranium (hard part of the skull that encloses the brain)
2. The meninges (membranes that surround soft brain tissue on the inside of the skull)
3. The cerebrospinal fluid (fluid inside the brain and spinal cord that absorbs shock)
• The main parts of the brain include:
1. The Cerebrum (divided into two hemispheres)
2. The Cerebellum (divided into two hemispheres)
3. The Medulla oblongata
4. The Spinal cord
The cerebrum of the brain is
divided into four lobes: the
frontal lobe, occipital lobe,
parietal lobe and the
temporal lobe. Each lobe
controls certain functions.

B. THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Thousands of nerves branch from the spinal cord towards all the different parts of the body. The
peripheral nervous system allows the body to communicate with the brain and transmits messages
between these two.

Nerves & Neurons

The brain is connected to the rest of the body by a range of nerves

Nerves are made up of neurones (one nerve cell = a neuron)
The peripheral nervous system communicates with the brain through reflex arcs
Reflex arcs are a range of neurons connected to one another so that information can travel from
a receptor to the brain and from there to an effector.
Information in the nervous system is transported in the form of electrical impulses.
There are THREE types of neurons
that form part of a reflex arc:
1 – The sensory neuron transmits
impulses from a receptor / sense
organ to the central nervous
system
2 – The motor neuron transmits
impulses from the central nervous
system towards an effector
3 – The interneuron connects the
sensory and motor neuron
A receptor refers to any cell, tissue
or organ that can register a
change in the environment. For
example the cells in your eye can
detect a decrease in the light
intensity of your. A receptor changes a stimulus (the change in the environment) into an electrical
impulse.
That electrical impulse then moves along the sensory neuron towards the interneuron located in
either the brain or spinal cord (the central nervous system). The brain integrates the information
and decides what to do.
Then the motor neuron carries the impulse towards an effector. An effector is usually a muscle of
gland that causes some or other response / reaction. For example, in response to the decrease in
the light intensity of your room (the room becomes darker) your pupil will enlarge. This is co-
ordinated by the muscles in the pupil. Look at a simple reflex arc shown below.

IMPORTANT TERMS IN A REFLEX ARC:

A reflex action: A fast, automatic response to a stimulus

Stimulus: Any change in the internal or external environment
Impulse: The electrical signal that is carried along neurons and is produced by the receptor in
response to a stimulus
Receptor: a cell, tissue or organ that can convert a stimulus into an impulse
Effector: a muscle or gland that can react to a stimulus
Sensory neuron: conducts impulses from the receptor towards the brain and spinal cord
Motor neuron: conducts impulses from the brain and spinal cord towards an effector
Interneuron: conducts impulses from a sensory neuron towards a motor neuron
Neuron: a single nerve cell
THE SPINAL CORD:

• Is located inside the vertebral column / spine

• The vertebral column/spine protects the spinal cord against injuries
• Functions:
1. The spinal cord conducts impulses between the brain and body
2. Allows for reflex actions
C. DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM:
Deafness
• The loss of hearing
• Sensory hearing loss most common
• Damage done to the hearing organs (hair cells)
• Sudden or long-term exposure to loud noise

Blindness

• Inability to see
• Caused by damage to…
➢ The optic nerve or occipital lobe
➢ The retina in the eye
➢ Bleeding or blood clots in the eye

Near-sightedness

• Also called Myopia

• Can see nearby objects clearly
• Distant objects appear out of focus
• Wear corrective glasses

D. DRUGS AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

1. Depressants reduce the activity of the CNS (alcohol, heroine)

2. Stimulants increase the activity of the CNS (cocaine, ecstasy, meth, caffeine, nicotine)
3. Hallucinogen lets you see things that are not really there (LSD, dagga) (hallucination vs. )
4. Pain killers (morphine, heroine, cocaine) reduce pain

• Drugs are addictive

Physical addiction vs. psychological addiction
Withdrawal symptoms
EXERCISES ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
4. Study the sketch below and answet the questions that follow:

(a) Name the parts numbered 1 to 4.

(b) Give the number of the part that regulates your breathing rate.
(c) State TWO ways in which the brain is protected from injuries.

5. Study the diagram below and answer the questions that follow.

(a) Give a heading for this diagram.

(b) Give the name of the neuron marked A.
(c) State the type of neuron that is connected to structure B.
(d) What will the effect be on the body if you were to damage the neuron mentioned in
QUESTION 5 (c)?
6. A learner carried out an investigation to measure the reaction time of two people (A and B).
Each person had to ring a bell when a light flashed on. The time taken for each person to react
was recorded and plotted on the bar graph below. The test was carried out 10 times

(a) What was the slowest reaction time?

(b) Describe how the reaction time of Person B changed during the course of the 10 readings.
(c) Give a possible reason for the trend tyou described in VRAAG 6 (b).
(d) What was the stimulus in this investigation?
(e) How would the reaction time of Person A have differed if he/she was under the influence of
alcohol?