Basics of nervous system and endocrine control of body.

1. Nervous and Endocrine
Systems
IHS Unit 4

2. Learning Goals
• Discuss the anatomy and basic
physiology of the endocrine and
nervous systems.
• Analyze how these systems work
together to control the body.

3. The Nervous System
• Includes BILLIONS of neurons.
– Divided into the central nervous system
(brain and spinal cord) and peripheral
nervous system (nerves throughout the
body)
– Brain is the central control center for body
and receives messages from all of the
tissues and organs. It also sends messages
to alter any processes taking place.

4. The Brain
• The Cerebrum is the location
in the brain where all of our
higher level thinking and
processes take place
(includes problem solving,
imagination, language, etc.)
• The Diencephalon (core of
brain) controls more primitive
fucntions like fear and
memory regulation.
• The Cerebullum is at the back
of the brain and helps us with
our coordination.
• The Brain Stem regulates the
most basic functions of life.

5. Peripheral Nervous System
• This is the system of
nerves that send
information from
the brain to the
tissues and from the
tissues to the brain.
• Reflexes are
responses
regulated in the
spinal cord, that do
not have to be
triggered by brain
response. They are
protective
mechanisms.

6. Communication in the Body
• Nerves use electrical
impulses to send
messages, and
chemical
messengers called
neurotransmitters to
pass the message
from nerve cell to
nerve cell and nerve
cell to tissue.
• Electrical impulses
are generalted by
the shift of ions
across the cell
membrane.

7. The Endocrine System
• This is the collection of hormone-
producing organs through out the
body. They regulate all sorts of body
functions, from growth to hunger,
reproduction to production of urine.
• The pituitary gland, located just under
the brain, is called the master gland
because it controls the function of
many others.

8. Organs of the Endocrine System
• Thyroid
• Thymus
• Pancreas
• Adrenal glands
• Gonads (Testes in
men, Ovaries in
women)
• Several others

9. Hormones
• Hormones are chemical messengers
that produce a response in their target
tissues.
• Hormones travel in the blood, and are
filtered out by the kidneys and liver just
like other waste.
• Some hormones include: growth
hormone, adrenaline, estrogen,
testosterone, and insulin.

10. Shared Control of the Body
Nervous system
• Uses electrical impulses
and chemical
messengers
• Has pathways
throughout the body
• Centrally controlled by
brain
• Reacts FAST to change
(happens in fractions of
a second)
Endocrine System
• Uses chemical
messengers which
travels through the
blood.
• Centrally controlled by
the pituitary gland
• Reacts more slowly to
change (happens over
hours or days)