It consisits of brain, spinal cord,

sense receptors and a whole lot

of nerves.
Neuron: The Unit of nervous System
Our nervous system consists of brain, spinal cord, sense receptors and a
whole lot of nerves. The brain and spinal cord are made up of neurons or
nerve cells.

Structure of the neuron: The three main parts of a neuron are the cell body,
dendrites and axon.
(i) The cell body (Perikaryon or Cyton) (peri : surrounding, karyon : nucleus)
• It contains a well-defined nucleus, surrounded by granular cytoplasm.
• It has all the cell organelles like other cells, only centrosome is absent
because nerve cells have lost the ability to divide.
(ii) Dendrites (dendron tree/branch):
These are branched cytoplasmic projections of the cell body. They conduct
nerve impulses to the cyton.
(iii) Axon:
• It is a long process from the cell body.
• It is surrounded by white insulating sheath called myelin sheath which is
covered by outermost thin sheath called neurolemma.

The gap in myelin sheath is called node of ranvier. Axon terminals are
closely placed near dendrites of another neuron through a gap called
synaptic cleft
Two major divisions of the Nervous System:
1. Central Nervous System (CNS) includes the brain
and the spinal cord contained within the vertebral
column.
2. Peripheral nervous system (PNS) includes the
nerves that emerge from and enter into the brain and
spinal cord.
The PNS consists of two subdivisions :
A. Somatic nervous system (SNS) conveys information
to skeletal (voluntary) muscles.
B. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) includes a pair of
chains of ganglia and nerves which control the
involuntary actions of many internal organs (smooth
muscles, heart muscles and glands).
The Brain: The brain is a very delicate
organ well protected inside the brain box
or cranium of the skull.
Coverings: The brain is protected by 3
membranous coverings called meninges
(meninx: membrane) which continue
backwards on the spinal cord.
(i) Dura mater - the outermost tough
fibrous membrane (dura : tough, mater:
mother).
(ii) Arachnoid- the thin delicate middle
layer giving a web-like cushion (arachne :
spider).
(iii) Pia mater- the innermost highly
vascular membrane, richly supplied with
blood (pia: tender).
Inflamation of meninges is Meningitis
Parts of the Brain: The brain has three main parts visible externally, (1) cerebrum (2)
cerebellum (3) medulla oblongata

1) Cerebrum (cerebrum: brain)

The cerebrum is the largest portion of the brain. It
is divided into two (right and left) halves called
cerebral hemispheres. Their outer surface is
highly convoluted with ridges and grooves. Each
cerebral hemisphere is hollow internally and the
walls have two regions - an outer(cortex) and an
inner portion (medulla). The outer portion (cortex)
of the cerebrum contains cell bodies of the
neurons and, being grayish in colour, is called the
gray matter. The Inner part is white due to Axons
so called white matter.
Functions - It is seat of intelligence,
consciousness, and will power And Subconcious
mind and all voluntary actions.
2. CEREBELLUM ("little brain")
The cerebellum is a much smaller area of the
brain located just at the base and under the large
cerebrum. It has, but has numerous furrowsno
convolutions. This also has an outer cortex made
of gray matter. Centrally, it has white matter
which, in a median section, appears like a
branching tree. The main function of the
cerebellum is to maintain 'balance' of the body
and coordinate muscular activity. The impulse for
performing a muscular act, originates in the
cerebrum and not in the cerebellum. For
example, if you stand up and walk, the impulse
for this activity arises in the cerebrum
(conscious part). The act of walking involves
coordinated working of many muscles.
3) MEDULLA OBLONGATA
The medulla oblongata is the lowest
portion of the brain located at the base
of the skull. It is roughly triangular and
is continued behind as the spinal cord.
Its function is to control the activities
of the internal organs, for example,
peristaltic movement of the alimentary
canal, movement of breathing, beating
of the heart and many other involuntary
actions. Injury to the medulla generally
results in death.
Three Primary Regions of the Brain:
All parts taken together, the brain may be said to consist of three primary
regions forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. The various parts under each
region and their principal functions are as follows:

1. Forebrain:
a) Cerebrum (cerebral hemispheres) (seat of intelligence, memory,
consciousness, will power, voluntary actions).
b) Diencephalon
(i) Thalamus (relays pain and pressure impulses to cerebrum).
(ii) Hypothalamus (controls the body temperature and pituitary).

2. Midbrain: A small tubular part (reflexes involving eyes and ears).

3. Hindbrain:
a) Cerebellum (coordinates muscular act balance of the body).
b) Pons located in the centre of the - below the cerebellum (carries
impulses one hemisphere of the cerebellum to the hemisphere and
coordinates muscular movements on both the sides of the body).
c) Medulla oblongata (controls activities of internal organs, heart beat,
breathing, etc.)
The spinal cord extends from the medulla of the brain down almost the whole length
of the backbone to end at the second lumbar vertebra and lies within the neural
canal of the vertebrae
Spinal Cord has the arrangement of white and the gray matter is reversed from that
in the brain. The matter containing the cell bodies of motor (efferent) and
association neurons lies on the inner side and the white matter on the outer side.
The white matter contains axons running longitudinally to and from the brain and
even crossing from one side to the other.
There is a small central canal in the centre which runs the entire length and is
continuous with the cavities of the brain. It is also filled with cerebrospinal fluid
which acts as a shock proof cushion and forms a medium for the exchange of food
materials, waste products, and respiratory gases with neurons. gray gray.
Functions of the Spinal Cord
The spinal cord is concerned with the following three functions:
(i) Reflexes below the neck.
(ii) Conducts sensory impulses from the skin and muscles to the
brain.
(iii) Conducts motor responses from the brain to muscles of the
trunk and limbs.
Peripheral Nervous system (PNS)
It includes nerves which carry impulses to and from CNS.
(1) Cranial Nerves – They emerge from brain and are 12 pairs.
(2) Spinal nerves – They emerge from the spinal cord and are 31
pairs.
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
Consist of nerves and ganglia which controls involuntary actions .
Like Heart rate, Salivation, pupil control etc (a) Sympathetic and (b)
Parasmypathetic
reflected or directed back.
Two types of actions which occur in
our body are:
1. Voluntary Actions
2. Involuntary Actions
Natural reflex- inborn ex: blinking,
coughing
Conditioned reflex: Acquired during
life.
1. Complex collection of nerves and
specialized cell neuron that transmit
signal between different part of body
are called:

(a) Nervous system

(b) Circulatory system
(c) Excretory system
(d) Endocrine system
2. Longest cell in human
body:

(a) Stem cell

(b) Muscle cell
(c) Liver cell
(d) Nerve cells
3. Basic unit of the nervous
system is:

(a) Neuron
(b) Capillary
(c) Muscle fiber
(d) None of these
4. Electrical impulses are carried
through:

(a) Muscle cell

(b) Nerve cell
(c) Germ cell
(d) None of these
5. Which of the following is not
the part of neuron?

(a) Axon
(b) Dendrite
(c) Nucleus
(d) Cell wall
6. Information is first acquired
at _________.

(a) nerve ending

(b) cell body
(c) dendrite
(d) axon
7. Nerve cell communicate
with another cell via _________.

(a) synapses
(b) plasma membrane
(c) dendrite
(d) nerve ending
8. At which part in neuron
electrical sets off chemical
reactions?

(a) Cell body

(b) Nucleus
(c) Axon
(d) Nerve Ending
9. Neurilemma is :

(a) the cell membrane around the

nerve cell.
(b) a layer of fatty substance around
axon.
(c) a layer of specialized sheath
around myelin sheath of nerve fibres.
(d) the connective tissue around a
nerve tract.
10. Brain is covered by membrane
called ________.

(a) Scalp
(b) Meninges
(c) Cranium
(d) Archnoid
Q1. Nerve.
 Ans. Nerve : It is a thread-like white
structure which emerges from the brain
and the spinal cord. It consists of a large
number of axons or nerve fibres
surrounded by a connective tissue sheath.
The nerves arising from the brain are
called cranial nerves while those arising
from the spinal cord, are called spinal
nerves.
Q2. A Mixed nerve
Ans. Mixed nerve : It is one which carries
both sensory and motor fibres. For
example, a spinal nerve. These are mixed
nerves and they have two separate
connections with the spinal cord—
(i) A dorsal root which is a sensory root.
(ii) A ventral root which is a motor root.
Q3. Ganglion
 Ans. Ganglion : A Ganglion is a small, solid
mass of nervous tissue containing numerous
cell bodies of a neuron.
Q4. Natural reflex
Ans. Natural reflex : It is the one in which no
previous experience or learning is required
and are inborn and protective, e.g., the
sucking of milk by an infant from the breast
of the mother or reflex of the eyelid.
Q5. What are the functions of the
nervous system?
 Ans. The nervous system regulates, co-
ordinates and links the activities of different
organs and the entire organism, making it an
integrated whole. It also brings about an
adjustment between the organism and its
environment
Q6. How does an impulse travel
across a synapse ?
Ans. When the impulse reaches the end of one
neuron, it triggers the neuron to release some
chemicals in the synapse. These chemicals
diffuse across the synapse and bind with
receptor molecules of the next neuron. In this
way, a path is created between two neurons
for the continuous transmission of impulse.
 Q7. How does the arrangement of
nerve cells in the spinal cord differ
from that in the brain?
 Ans. In spinal cord, the cytons of the nerve
cells forming gray matter is located in the
interior of the spinal cord while in the brain,
gray matter is located in the exterior
Q8. Give the functions of spinal cord.
Ans. (i) It controls all the reflex actions.
(ii) It conducts sensory impulses from
skin to the brain and motor impulses
from brain to the muscles of trunk and
limbs.
Q9. Why the spinal cord and brain are
called as the central nervous system?
 Ans. Because they give rise to all the
nerves and control all the actions of the
body.
Q10. Injury to medulla oblongata
results in death. Why?
 Ans. Medulla oblongata controls involuntary
functions like heart beat, rate of respiration,
secretion of saliva, gut peristalsis, etc. Injury to
the medulla oblongata may result in cessation
of heart beat and breathing, thus leading to
death.