Introduction to the Nervous System

📋 Course Outline

1. Nervous System Structure
2. Neuron Anatomy
3. Neuron Types
4. Brain Regions
5. Functional Brain Areas
6. Spinal Cord Anatomy
7. Peripheral Nervous System
8. Neurotransmitters
9. Synaptic Transmission
10. Nervous System Disorders

📖 1. Nervous System Structure

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Neuron: The basic functional unit of the nervous system; a specialized cell that transmits electrical and chemical signals.
• Central Nervous System (CNS): Comprises the brain and spinal cord; processes information and coordinates responses.
• Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): All neural elements outside the CNS, including sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to limbs and organs.
• Myelin Sheath: Insulating layer around axons made of Schwann cells (PNS) or oligodendrocytes (CNS), which increases signal conduction speed.
• Gray Matter: Regions of the CNS rich in neuron cell bodies, involved in processing and integration.
• White Matter: Areas of the CNS composed of myelinated axons, responsible for communication between different brain regions and the spinal cord.

📝 Essential Points