Nervous System - is a complex system in the body. It has many parts.

The nervous system is divided into

two main systems:
Peripheral Nervous System - is made up of all of the nerves and the wiring. This system sends
the messages from the brain to the rest of the body.


Central nervous system - is responsible for integrating sensory information and responding
accordingly.
It consists of two main components:
1. Spinal cord - it is a collection of nervous tissue running along the back bone. It is, in fact,
protected by the vertebral column. It is a continuation of the brain.

2. Brain - It is the part of the central nervous system that is present in the head and protected by
the skull, dorsally and laterally. The box that houses the brain within the skull is called the
cranium.


It has three main regions - the fore brain, the mid brain and the hind brain.

1. Fore Brain - is made up of cerebrum, hypothalamus and thalamus.
Cerebrum - is the largest part of the brain and is made up of two hemispheres called the
cerebral hemispheres.
Thalamus - is an area which coordinates the sensory impulses from the various sense
organs - eyes, ears and skin and then relays it to the cerebrum.
Hypothalamus - though a small region situated below the thalamus, is an important
region of the brain. It receives the taste and smell impulses, coordinates messages from
the autonomous nervous system, controls the heart rate, blood pressure, body
temperature and peristalsis. It also forms an axis with the pituitary which is the main
link between the nervous and the endocrine systems. It also has centres that control
mood and emotions.
2. Mid brain - is a small portion of the brain that serves as a relay centre for sensory
information from the ears to the cerebrum. It also controls the reflex movements of the
head, neck and eye muscles. It provides a passage for the different neurons going in and
coming out of the cerebrum.
3. Hind brain - consists of cerebellum, pons and medulla oblongata.
Cerebellum - is like cerebrum. It consists of outer grey cortex and inner white medulla.
It is responsible for maintaining the balance while walking, swimming, riding, etc. It is
also responsible for precision and fine control of the voluntary movements. For
example, we can do actions like eating while talking or listening. One has to concentrate
for talking sensibly. However the action of eating, while talking is done automatically.
This is controlled by the cerebellum.
Pons- literally means bridge. It serves as a relay station between the lower cerebellum
and spinal cord and higher parts of the brain like the cerebrum and mid brain.
Medulla Oblongata - is a small region of the brain. It is hidden as it is well protected
because of its importance. It has the cardiovascular centre and the breathing centre. It
also controls activities such as sneezing, coughing, swallowing, salivation and vomiting.

Diseases
Multiple Sclerosis Literally, many hardenings, MS is a disease of unknown cause that
manifests as multiple hard plaques of degeneration of the insulating layer of nerve fibers in the
central nervous system. The loss of insulation allows short circuiting of nerve impulses.
Depending upon where the degeneration occurs, patients may suffer paralysis, sensory
disturbances or blindness.
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) - the fancy name for a stroke. A blood vessel in the brain may
burst causing internal bleeding. Or, a clot may arise in a brain blood vessel (a thrombus), or arise
elsewhere (embolus) and travel to get stuck in a brain vessel which then deprives brain tissue of
oxygen. Depending upon the area of the brain involved, the patient may suffer paralysis, loss of
speech or loss of vision.
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) - Ischemia was introduced previously in the circulatory
diseases module referring to the heart. It literally means not quite enough blood. A short
period of insufficient blood supply to the brain can have the same signs and symptoms as a
stroke such as weakness in an arm, a partial loss of vision, but the problem lasts less than 24
hours. People who get TIAs are at increased risk of having a stroke in the future.
Epilepsy - a Greek word for seizure.Convulsions is another term used. Seizures may have many
causes and not all seizures are epilepsy. High fevers in young children may trigger seizures which
are short in duration, easily controlled and, typically, have no permanent aftereffects. Epilepsy is
a specific condition which may occur at any age, seizures are more intense, longer lasting in
duration, and recur with some frequency. The condition may be controlled with medication, or if
unresponsive to drugs, may require surgery.
Aphasia - loss of speech. The speech centers are located on the left side of the brain in a
majority of people. If someone suffers a stroke (cerebrovascular accident-CVA), or traumatic
brain injury, and it involves the left side of the brain, they may suffer speech impediments that
vary over a spectrum of problems from difficulty in finding the right word, speaking slowly and
with difficulty, or complete loss of speech.



Medical equipments: Technology
- Magnetic resonance angiography is an MRI exam of the blood vessels. Unlike
traditional angiography that involves placing a tube (catheter) into the body, MRA is noninvasive.
- An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test to measure the electrical activity of the brain.
Senses
Eyes

Parts and Function:
The eye is a slightly asymmetrical globe, about an inch in diameter. The front part of the eye (the part
you see in the mirror) includes:
The iris (the pigmented part)
The cornea (a clear dome over the iris)
The pupil (the black circular opening in the iris that lets light in)
The sclera (the white part)
The conjunctiva (a thin layer of tissue covering the front of the eye, except the cornea)
Just behind the iris and pupil lies the lens, which helps to focus light on the back of the eye. Most of the
eye is filled with a clear gel called the vitreous. Light projects through the pupil and the lens to the back
of the eye. The inside lining of the eye is covered by special light-sensing cells that are collectively called
the retina. The retina converts light into electrical impulses. Behind the eye, the optic nerve carries
these impulses to the brain. The macula is a small extra-sensitive area within the retina that gives
central vision. It is located in the center of the retina and contains the fovea, a small depression or pit at
the center of the macula that gives the clearest vision.
Eye color is created by the amount and type of pigment in the iris. Multiple genes inherited from each
parent determine a persons eye color.

Coping Mechanism:
The human eye has its own coping mechanism and thats by blinking. A average human being blink
every 210 seconds in order for the eye to be lubricated. Tears also play a huge role in protecting the
eye. When dust hit your eye, the first thing it will do is blink and produce tears. I prevents the eye for
irritation.
Nose

Parts and Function:
The external structure of the human nose is made up of bones, tissue, and cartilage. These parts make
up the structural composition of the nose itself. Fibro-fatty tissue creates a separation of the plates of
cartilage. The nasal cavity includes the vestibule, septum, sinuses, nerves, hard and soft palates, upper,
middle, and lower meatus, and the upper, middle, and lower turbinate. All of the parts of the nose work
together to provide a sense of smell as well as to filter, warm, and moisten the air that we breath in, and
send to the lungs.
Coping Mechanism:
A human nose have its own coping mechanism with the help of the cilia. The cilia is the hair like strands
located inside the nose. It prevents dust and other particles from entering our body. When the cilia
trapped the dust and other particles it will turn into rhinolith.


Ears

Parts and Functions:
The ear has external, middle, and inner portions. The outer ear is called the pinna and is made of ridged
cartilage covered by skin. Sound funnels through the pinna into the external auditory canal, a short tube
that ends at the eardrum (tympanic membrane).
Sound causes the eardrum and its tiny attached bones in the middle portion of the ear to vibrate, and
the vibrations are conducted to the nearby cochlea. The spiral-shaped cochlea is part of the inner ear; it
transforms sound into nerve impulses that travel to the brain.
The fluid-filled semicircular canals (labyrinth) attach to the cochlea and nerves in the inner ear. They
send information on balance and head position to the brain. The eustachian (auditory) tube drains fluid
from the middle ear into the throat (pharynx) behind the nose.

Coping mechanism:
Cerumen (ear wax) impaction: Ear wax may block the ear canal and adhere to the eardrum. The
eardrums reduced vibrations impair hearing.
The skin surrounding the external acoustic meatus contains glands that produce ear wax


Mouth

mouth, also called Oral Cavity, or Buccal Cavity, in human anatomy, orifice through which food and air
enter the body. The mouth opens to the outside at the lips and empties into the throat at the rear; its
boundaries are defined by the lips, cheeks, hard and soft palates, and glottis. It is divided into two
sections: the vestibule, the area between the cheeks and the teeth, and the oral cavity proper. The
latter section is mostly filled by the tongue, a large muscle firmly anchored to the floor of the mouth by
the frenulum linguae. In addition to its primary role in the intake and initial digestion of food, the mouth
and its structures are essential in humans to the formation of speech.
The chief structures of the mouth are the teeth, which tear and grind ingested food into small pieces
that are suitable for digestion; the tongue, which positions and mixes food and also carries sensory
receptors for taste; and the palate, which separates the mouth from the nasal cavity, allowing separate
passages for air and for food. All these structures, along with the lips, are involved in the formation of
speech sounds by modifying the passage of air through the mouth.
The oral cavity and vestibule are entirely lined by mucous membranes containing numerous small glands
that, along with the three pairs of salivary glands, bathe the mouth in fluid, keeping it moist and clear of
food and other debris. Specialized membranes form both the gums (gingivae), which surround and
support the teeth, and the surface of the tongue, on which the membrane is rougher in texture,
containing many small papillae that hold the taste buds. The mouths moist environment and the
enzymes within its secretions help to soften food, facilitating swallowing and beginning the process of
digestion.



Coping Mechanism:
Saliva is a watery substance located in the mouths of organisms, secreted by the salivary glands. Human
saliva is 99.5% water, while the other 0.5% consists of electrolytes, mucus, glycoproteins, enzymes,
and antibacterial compounds such as secretory IgA and lysozyme. The enzymes found in saliva are
essential in beginning the process of digestion of dietary starches and fats. These enzymes also play a
role in breaking down food particles entrapped within dental crevices, protecting teeth from bacterial
decay.

Furthermore, saliva serves a lubricative function, wetting food and permitting the initiation of
swallowing, and protecting the mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity from desiccation