The Central Nervous system, its parts, functions, lobes, and regions. This presentation also identified common diseases that may affect the CNS.

1. Central
Nervous
System
Report by: Veronica Baje

2. Central Nervous System
(CNS)
• Controls most functions of the body and
mind.
• Combines information from the entire body
and coordinates activity across the whole
organism.
• Consists of two parts:
• Brain
• Spinal Cord

3. The Brain

4. The Brain
• The brain is the most complex organ in the
human body.
• The cerebral cortex contains an estimated 15-
33 billion neurons.
• 100 billion neurons and 1,000 billion glial
cells make up the human brain.
• Brain uses 20% of the body’s total energy.
• The brain is the central control module of the
body and coordinates activity.

5. 4 Lobes of the Brain
1. Temporal Lobe
2. Occipital Lobe
3. Parietal Lobe
4. Frontal Lobe

6. 1. Temporal Lobe
• Important for processing
sensory input and assigning it
emotional meaning
• Responsible for long term
memories
• Also involved in some aspects
of language perception

7. 2. Occipital Lobe
• Visual processing
• Housing the virtual cortex

8. 3. Parietal Lobe
• Integrates sensory information
including touch, spatial
awareness and navigation.
• Touch simulation is sent to the
parietal lobe.
• Plays part in language
processing.

9. 4. Frontal Lobe
• Positioned at the front of the
brain
• Contains the majority of
dopamine-sensitive neurons
• Involved in attention, reward,
short-term memory,
motivation, and planning

10. Brain Regions
1. Basal ganglia
2. Cerebellum
3. Broca’s Area
4. Corpus Callosum
5. Medulla Oblangata
6. Hypothalamus
7. Thalamus
8. Amygdala

11. 1. Basal ganglia
• Control of voluntary motor
movements
• Procedural learning
• Decisions about which motor
activities to carry out

12. 2. Cerebellum
• Precise motor control
• Language and attention

13. 3. Broca’s Area
• Important in language
processing

14. 4. Corpus Callosum
• Broad band of nerve fibers that
join the left and right
hemispheres
• Largest white matter structure
in the brain
• Allows the two hemispheres to
communicate

15. 5. Medulla Oblangata
• Extending below the skill
• Involuntary functions

16. 6. Hypothalamus
• Sitting above the brain stem
• Roughly the size of an almond
• Secretes a number of
neurophormones
• Influences body temperature
• Control thirst and hunger

17. 7. Thalamus
• Positioned in the center of the
brain
• Receives sensory and motor
input and relays it to the rest of
the cerebral cortex
• Involved in regulation of
consciousness, sleep,
awareness, and alertness

18. 8. Amygdala
• Two almond-shaped nuclei deep
within the temporal lobe
• Involved in decision-making
• Memory
• Emotional responses: negative
emotions

19. Spinal Cord

20. Spinal Cord
• Carries information between the brain and
the body among others
• From the brainstem, 31 spinal nerves enter
the cord
• Along its length, it connects with the nerves
of the peripheral nervous system that run in
from the skin, muscles, and joints
• The spinal cord contains circuits that control
certain reflexive responses
• Generates complex movement: walking

21. White and Gray Matter
• CNS is divided into white and
gray matter.
• The brain consists of an outer
cortex of gray matter and an
inner area housing tracts of white
matter
• Both types of tissue contain glial
cells that protect and support
neurons.
• White matter mostly consists of
axons (nerve projections) and
oligodendrocytes
• Gray matter consists
predominantly of neurons

22. Central Glial Cells
1. Astrocytes – have numerous
projections and anchor neurons
to their blood supply. Regulate
local environment by removing
excess ions and recycling
neurotransmitters.
2. Oligodendrocytes – creates
myelin sheath that coats nerve
cells, which allows them to send
signals quickly and efficiently.
3. Ependymal Cells – lines the
spinal cord and the brain’s
ventricles (fluid filled spaces).
Create and secrete
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and
keep it circulating.
4. Radial glia – act as scaffolding
for new nerve cells during the
creation of the embryo’s
nervous system.

23. Cranial Nerves
There are 12 pairs of nerves that arise directly
from the brain and pass through the holes in
the skill. Of these 12 pairs, the olfactory and
the optic nerves arise from the forebrain and
are considered part of the CNS.
1. Olfactory Nerves (Cranial nerve I) –
transmit information about odors from the
upper section of the nasal cavity to the
olfactory bulbs on the base of the brain.
2. Optic Nerves (Cranial nerve II) – carry
visual information from the retina to the
primary visual nuclei of the brain. Each
optic nerve consists of around 1.7 million
nerve fibers.

24. Central Nervous System Diseases

25. • Trauma – depending on the site of the injury,
symptoms can vary widely from paralysis to
mood disorders
• Infections – some micro-organisms & viruses
can invade the CNS; fungi (cyptococcal
meningitis; protozoa (malaria); bacteria
(leprosy).
• Degeneration – spinal cord or brain can
degenerate (Parkinson’s disease).
• Tumors – cancerous and non-cancerous tumors.
• Autoimmune disorders – an individual’s
immune system can mount an attack on healthy
cells (Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis).
• Stroke – interruption of blood supply to the
brain.