Post on 25-Dec-2015
Question???
• What to brushing your teeth, riding a bike, and solving a math problem have in common??
• ANSWER…. ___________________
ANSWER:
• They all happen from instructions from your body’s “Control Center” aka your Nervous System.
Neurons
• The specialized cells that make up your nervous system.
• Also called “Nerve Cells”
• Can’t replace/repair themselves if they get damaged- different than all your other body cells!
Neurons
• Their job is to carry messages to and from different parts of your body.
• These messages are “weak electrical signals”
• They’re more sensitive than other cells and work very quickly!!
Parts of the Nervous System
• 3 Parts: – Brain– Spinal Cord– Many Nerves
**It is divided into 2 main sections:
-Central Nervous System- (brain and spinal cord)
-Peripheral Nervous System (nerves)
Central Nervous System
• Includes the brain and the spinal cord• The main control center, controls your body’s
actions
• Brain- gets, interprets, and sends responses• Spinal Cord- bunch of nerve tissue - organized into segments for each muscle, organ, and function/job
It Controls 2 Types of Actions:• Voluntary Actions- things you choose to
control (examples: like walking, smiling)
• Involuntary Actions- things that you can’t control (examples: breathing, heart beat)
BRAIN
• Mass or neurons that controls actions, emotions, thoughts, and memory.
• Made up of 10 BILLION neurons
• Weighs 3 lbs!!!
• It’s well protected in your skull and suspended in a fluid that’s like a shock absorber
3 Main Parts of the Brain:
• Cerebrum- senses, thinking, speech, muscle movement
• Cerebellum- balance, posture, coordination
• Brain Stem- heart beat, breathing, blood pressure, digestion
DID YOU KNOW…
• Your brain is divided into 2 halves (hemispheres)
• If you’re R Handed- your left side of the brain is more dominant
• If you’re L Handed, your right side of the brain is more dominant
(Because the R side of your Brain, controls the L side of your body!)
SPINAL CORD
• Less than 2 feet long
• Well protected by your spine
• Same diameter as your index finger
• Relays messages from your body to the brain, and from the brain to your muscles and glands.
Peripheral Nervous System
• Parts- all the nerves (that connect the brain’s signals to the rest of the body)
• The PNS is like the mailman carrying letters to and from the post office– (carries messages to and from the
brain/spinal cord)
2 Main parts of the PNS
• Somatic System- deals with actions you can control (VOLUNTARY)
• Autonomic System- deals with actions you can’t control (auto) (INVOLUNTARY)
Reflexes
• Involuntary or automatic action that your body does in response to something.
• Protect your body from things that can harm it!
• Do you know any examples???
Reflex Examples:
• Coughing when something gets in your airway
• Blinking when something is in your eye to keep it out
• Pulling your hand back when you touch a hot stove to keep your from getting burned
Short Video Review
• http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/flash/facts.html
Problems Related to the Nervous System:
• Structural Disorders:– Head or Spinal Cord Injury
• Degenerative Disorders:– Cerebral Palsy (CP)– Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Infections:– Polio– Rabies, – Meningitis
GROUP ACTIVITY- pg. 296 in book!
Related Problems Cont’d:
• The most common cause of damage to the Nervous System is what??? _______
• Examples: concussion, pinched nerve, etc.
• In a sporting event, someone has a head/neck/back injury. WHAT SHOULD YOU NEVER DO??!??
1. What are the 3 main parts that make up the Nervous System?
2. The Nervous System is divided into 2 main sections. What are they?
3. The specialized cells that make up the nervous system are called _________.
4. The 3 main parts of the BRAIN, that I showed you on the diagram, are called the __________, the _________, and the ________ ________.
5. ________ is an automatic action that your body does in response to something.
6. Why do we have reflexes?
7. The Somatic System deals with actions you __________ control, while the Autonomic System deals with actions that you __________ control.
8. Most Nervous System Injuries are caused by __________.