Eurydice Cardona

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

The nervous system is responsible for coordinating and controlling body function and activity. It receives information from both internal and external sensory receptors and adjusts the activity of muscles and glands accordingly to match the body’s needs.

The nervous system consists of the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).

FUNCTIONS

The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord. Sensory information comes into the central nervous system to be processed and motor messages exit carrying commands for the glands and muscles.

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

The peripheral nervous system consists of cranial and spinal nerves. These sensory nerves carry information to the central nervous system while motor nerves carry the commands to the muscles and glands.

PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

I will be presenting two suffi xes and use them to provide an example of their use in the nervous system.

The suffi xes I will be reporting on are :-plegia-taxiaThe suffi x –plegia means “paralysis”The suffi x –taxia means “internal ordering or arrangement”

SUFFIXES

Paraplegia is a type of paralysis that aff ects all or part of the trunk, legs and pelvic organs and is characterized by loss or impairment of motor or sensory functions.

It is the result of a lower spinal cord injury, usually from motor vehicle injuries, sports accidents or falls.

When the spinal cord (CNS) is damaged, impulses will no longer travel to and from the brain correctly and muscles and glands will not receive proper commands.

PARAPLEGIA

Symptoms include:-loss of sensation, motion and reflexes-loss of bladder and bowel control-sexual dysfunctions-pain caused by damage to spinal nervesDiffi culty breathing and coughing

THE SYMPTOMS

Ataxia is characterized by a lack of muscle coordination during voluntary movements such as walking or picking up objects.

It is the result of damage to a certain section of the brain : the cerebellum.

The cerebellum, second largest portion of the brain, aids in coordinating voluntary body movements.

ATAXIA

Ataxia’s symptoms include :Poor coordinationUnsteady walk and a tendency to stumbleChange in speechDiffi culty swallowingDiffi culty with fine-motor tasks such as eating and

writing Involuntary back and forth eye movements

THE SYMPTOMS