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Table of Contents

I. Nervous System Introduction          

     Neurons                                    

     Neurotransmitters                       

     Peripheral Nervous System           

     Central Nervous System               

II. The Brain                                    

     Parts of the Brain                        

     Lobes of the Brain                      

III. The Endocrine System                     

      Major Glands                                 

IV. Disorders Introduction                      

     Nervous System Disorder                  

     Brain Disorder                                

     Endocrine System Disorder                

Overview of the 

Nervous System

The brain is the main component 

of the nervous system which, in 

conjunction with the endocrine 

system, is responsible for all 

actions of the body. The nervous 

system processes thousands of 

pieces of information. It's job is 

to then take this information, 

and tell the rest of the body how 

to react. Everything you do is 

controlled by the nervous 

system.

Neurons  

Our brains are made up of two 

types of cells, glia and neurons.  

Neurons, however, are the more 

important of the two. They 

contain a nucleus that holds 

genes, as do other cells in the 

body. The difference comes from 

the fact that neurons are 

incredibly specialized because of 

their projections, known as 

dendrites and axons. Dendrites 

carry information to the cell, 

while axons carry information 

away. 

Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters are the chemicals which allow neurons 

to relay information between each other. A 

neurotransmitter can send a message to the next neuron 

in line to do one of two things, either fire an electrical 

signal or to remain silent. Interestingly, most psychiatric 

disorders are now thought to be   the result of an 

abnormal chemical transmission in the brain. This has led 

to an increase in research and understanding of 

neurotransmitters and the way the function.

Peripheral Nervous 

System

This part of the nervous system is 

what carries information between 

itself and the organs of the body. 

The peripheral nervous system 

can then further be split into the 

autonomic nervous system and 

the somatic nervous system. The 

autonomic nervous system 

controls most subconscious bodily 

functions. The somatic nervous 

system is responsible for the 

body's movements.

The Central Nervous System

The central nervous system is made of the 

spinal cord and the brain. Information 

travels here from the peripheral nervous 

system, where it is then coordinated and 

relayed back. The spinal cord is the main 

source of transportation between the 

peripheral and central nervous systems. 

This is why the cord is protected by your 

vertebrae.

Part 2: The Brain

The brain is comprised of 

many different structures 

that each carry out an 

individual function. Our 

brains have evolved over 

millions of years, growing 

more and more complex. 

Simply put, our brains are 

what make us human. Its 

complexity is what 

separates us from beast and 

gives us the capability to 

create.

Parts of the Brain

Brain Stem: involuntary actions

Medulla: monitors injury response, blood pressure, and 

reflexes

Reticular Activating System: sensing danger and also 

sleeping or wakefulness

Pons: station between cerebellum and cerebral cortex

Cerebellum: movements, balance, and posture

Top Inch of Brain Stem: pathway between the two 

hemispheres of the brain

Limbic System: emotional response, learning, and 

meemory

Hypothalamus: body temperature

Thalamus: relays information from the body to the 

cerebral cortex

Cerebrum: about two-thirds of the brain, it is divided into 

two hemispheres (or halves), each with four lobes covered 

by cerebral cortex, which is the outermost layer of the 

brain (most neurons reside here)

Lobes of the Brain

Frontal Lobe: motor skills, 

creativity, and emotional 

reactions

Parietal Lobe: body senses, 

position, orientation, 

pressure, heat, cold, pain, 

reading, and thinking

Occipital Lobe: vision

Temporal Lobe: hearing, 

music, understanding speech, 

memory for nonverbal events

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