Communication: Central Nervous System

The human body is a complex machine that works tirelessly to make sure you stay in good health. Each part of this machine, including your heart, muscles, kidneys, and lungs must function in unison to make sure the machine stays well-oiled. This functioning in harmony is accomplished by a vast network of neurons that work together with the brain and spinal cord; your nervous system. The previous chapter covered the basic principles of communication within the human body, and now we can start applying these concepts to the physical structures of the nervous system. In this chapter, we will introduce key components of the mammalian nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral organs. Next, we will study the anatomy of the eye and visual processing. Finally, we will examine the process of neuromuscular communication.

Here is a list of subchapters that will direct you to the corresponding page:

1. Brain, Spinal Cord and the Periphery
2. Vision
3. Neuromuscular Communication
4. Chapter Review

Communication: Central Nervous System Podcast

The following podcast episode for this chapter along with the paired transcript will summarize key concepts of each subchapter and provide helpful insight for some of the content. Keep in mind that it will not cover all of the topics of the chapter, but will help solidify and explain difficult concepts such as the visual pathway and receptive fields. Explaining concepts that you learn in your own words and discussing them with your peers are the best ways to gain a deeper understanding of the material, and are good practice for explaining your thought process during evaluations. Listening to this podcast will feel like a discussion with a classmate, which will be a great tool for studying!

The following list of hyperlinks will take you to each of the topics discussed in the podcast:

1. Introduction, Segregation and Integration
2. Neurons and Glial Cells
3. Vision: Photoreceptors and Dark Current
4. On/Off Cells
5. Receptive Field
6. On-Center, Off-Surround and Off-Center, On-Surround
7. Vision Processing Pathway
8. Muscle Spindles
9. Afferent versus Efferent
10. Golgi Tendon Organs versus Spindles
11. Error Correction (Feedback)
12. Motor Memory
13. Where Action Potentials Originate
14. Sensory Pathways and Regulatory Mechanisms
15. Override Center
16. The Autonomic Nervous System (SNS and PNS)