Nervous System Introduction

The Nervous System

The nervous system receives information about what is happening both inside and outside your body. It also directs the way in which your body responds to this information. In addition your nervous system helps maintain homeostasis.

Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases.

Open Ended

What does the Nervous System do

The Nervous System

The Neuron

A neuron has a large cell body that
contains the nucleus, threadlike
extensions called dendrites, and an
axon.

​Neurons are nerve cells that send messages all over your body to allow you to do everything from breathing to talking, eating, walking, and thinking. Until recently, most neuroscientists (scientists who study the brain) thought we were born with all the neurons we were ever going to have.

Hotspot

Which hotspot is showing the dendrites?

​

The Nervous System

How a Nerve Impulse Travels

For a nerve impulse to be carried
along at a synapse, it must cross the
gap between the axon and the next
structure. The axon tips release
chemicals that carry the impulse
across the gap.

The Nervous System

- Divisions of the Nervous System

Central Nervous System

The central nervous system is the control
center of the body. It includes the brain and
spinal cord.

A primary function of the nervous system is maintaining homeostasis. Homeostasis, from the Greek words for "same" and "steady," refers to any process that living things use to actively maintain fairly stable conditions necessary for survival.

Open Ended

What is Homeostasis?

The Nervous System

The Brain

There are three main regions of the brain that receive and process information. These are the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem.

Multiple Choice

What does the brain stem do?

• Controls involuntary actions

• Coordinates actions

• Controls movement, senses, speech and thoughts

• Controls understanding of language

The Nervous System

Lobes of the Brain and What They do

Frontal lobe isinvolved in personality characteristics, decision-making and movement. Recognition of smell usually involves parts of the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe is also associated with speech ability.

Parietal lobe helps a person identify objects and understand spatial relationships. It’s also involved in interpreting pain and touch in the body, as well as understanding spoken language.

Occipital lobe is the back part of the brain that is
involved with vision.

Temporal lobes (each side) are involved in short-term memory, speech, musical rhythm and some degree of smell recognition.

The cerebellum’s function is to coordinate voluntary muscle movements and to maintain posture, balance and equilibrium.

Match

Match the following lobes to their main functions

• Frontal

• Temporal

• Parietal

• Occipital

• Cerebellum

decision making

hearing

sensory perception

visual processing

coordination

• decision making

• hearing

• sensory perception

• visual processing

• coordination

The Nervous System

Alzheimer’s and the Brain

To do their work, brain cells operate like tiny factories. They receive supplies, generate energy, construct equipment and get rid of waste. Cells also process and store information and communicate with other cells. Keeping everything running requires coordination as well as large amounts of fuel and oxygen.

Scientists believe Alzheimer's disease prevents parts of a cell's factory from running well. They are not sure where the trouble starts.
But just like a real factory, backups and breakdowns in one system cause problems in other areas. As damage spreads, cells lose their ability to do their jobs and, eventually die, causing irreversible changes in the brain.

Open Ended

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Mastery Check

Take the practice Mastery Check...

If you score 8 or more you will do great on the mastery check, fill out the self assessment and ask your teacher for the code. If not; then go back and review all of the material here and make sure your notes are good and in your notebook.

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