Central nervous system

A diagram showing the CNS:
1. Brain
2. Central nervous system
(brain and spinal cord)
3. Spinal cord

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

## Overview

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The central nervous system (CNS) represents the largest part of the nervous system, including the brain and the spinal cord. Together with the peripheral nervous system, it has a fundamental role in the control of behavior. The CNS is contained within the dorsal cavity, with the brain within the cranial subcavity, and the spinal cord in the spinal cavity. The CNS is covered by the meninges. The brain is also protected by the skull, and the spinal cord is also protected by the vertebrae.

## Function

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Main article: Brain Function

Since the strong theoretical influence of cybernetics in the fifties, the CNS is conceived as a system devoted to information processing, where an appropriate motor output is computed as a response to a sensory input. Yet, many threads of research suggest that motor activity exists well before the maturation of the sensory systems and then, that the senses only influence behavior without dictating it. This has brought the conception of the CNS as an autonomous system.

## Development

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Main article: Neural development

In the developing fetus, the CNS originates from the neural plate, a specialised region of the ectoderm, the most external of the three embryonic layers. During embryonic development, the neural plate folds and forms the neural tube. The internal cavity of the neural tube will give rise to the ventricular system. The regions of the neural tube will differentiate progressively into transversal systems. First, the whole neural tube will differentiate into its two major subdivisions: brain (rostral/cephalic) and spinal cord (caudal). Consecutively, the brain will differentiate into prosencephalon and brainstem. Later, the prosencephalon will subdivide into telencephalon and diencephalon, and the brainstem into mesencephalon and rhombencephalon.

### Details

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Main article: Neuroanatomy

The telencephalon gives rise to the striatum (caudate nucleus and putamen), the hippocampus and the neocortex, its cavity becomes the lateral (first and second) ventricles. The diencephalon give rise to the subthalamus, hypothalamus, thalamus and epithalamus, its cavity to the third ventricle. The mesencephalon gives rise to the tectum, pretectum, cerebral peduncle and its cavity develops into the mesencephalic duct or cerebral aqueduct. Finally, the rhombencephalon gives rise to the pons, the cerebellum and the medulla oblongata, its cavity becomes the fourth ventricle.

## Evolution

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Main article: Brain

The basic pattern of the CNS is highly conserved throughout the different species of vertebrates and during evolution. The major trend that can be observed is towards a progressive telencephalisation: while in the reptilian brain that region is only an appendix to the large olfactory bulb, it represent most of the volume of the mammalian CNS. In the human brain, the telencephalon covers most of the diencephalon and the mesencephalon. Indeed, the allometric study of brain size among different species shows a striking continuity from rats to whales, and allows us to complete the knowledge about the evolution of the CNS obtained through cranial endocasts.

## Central Nervous System in Vertebrates

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Main article: List of regions in the human brain

Central
nervous
system | Brain | Prosencephalon | Telencephalon |

Rhinencephalon, Amygdala, Hippocampus, Neocortex, Lateral ventricles

|
|
|
|

Diencephalon |

Epithalamus, Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Subthalamus, Pituitary gland, Pineal gland, Third ventricle

Brain stem | Mesencephalon |

Tectum, Cerebral peduncle, Pretectum, Mesencephalic duct

Rhombencephalon |  Metencephalon |

Pons, Cerebellum,

Myelencephalon | Medulla oblongata
Spinal cord

## Related Chapters

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* Glossary of anatomical terminology, definitions and abbreviations
* List of regions in the human brain
* Central nervous system infection
* Neuroradiology
* Encephalization
* Neocortex
* Archicortex

## External links

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* Sylvius: 400+ structure neuroanatomical visual glossary
* High-Resolution Cytoarchitectural Primate Brain Atlases
* Human Brains: A Learning Tool.
* Explaining the human nervous system.
* Nervous System - Back Pain - Anatomy (info on nerve pairs).
* Textbook in Medical Physiology And Pathophysiology, many links
* Brain and Cranial Nerves, Anatomy and Physiology Lecture, Northland Community College
* Latest Research on the Brain and Central Nervous System From ScienceDaily

Template:Nervous system

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Nervous tissue

CNS|

| Tissue Types|

* Grey matter
* White matter
* Projection fibers
* Association fiber
* Commissural fiber
* Lemniscus
* Nerve tract
* Decussation
* Commissure
* Neuropil
* Meninges

|

Cell Types|

| Neuronal|

* Pyramidal
* Purkinje
* Granule
* Spindle
* Interneuron

|

Glial|

| insulating:|

* Myelination: Oligodendrocyte

|

other|

* Astrocyte
* Ependymal cells
* Tanycyte
* Microglia

PNS|

| General|

* Dorsal
* Root
* Ganglion
* Ramus
* Ventral
* Root
* Ramus
* Ramus communicans
* Gray
* White
* Autonomic ganglion (Preganglionic nerve fibers
* Postganglionic nerve fibers)
* Nerve fascicle
* Funiculus

|

Connective tissues|

* Epineurium
* Perineurium
* Endoneurium

Neuroglia|

* Myelination: Schwann cell
* Neurilemma
* Myelin incisure
* Node of Ranvier
* Internodal segment
* Satellite glial cell

Neurons/
nerve fibers|

| Parts|

| Soma|

* Axon hillock

|

Axon|

* Telodendron
* Axon terminals
* Axoplasm
* Axolemma
* Neurofibril/neurofilament

Dendrite|

*     * Nissl body
* Dendritic spine
* Apical dendrite/Basal dendrite

Types|

* Bipolar
* Unipolar
* Pseudounipolar
* Multipolar
* Interneuron
* Renshaw

Afferent nerve fiber/
Sensory neuron|

* GSA
* GVA
* SSA
* SVA
* fibers
* Ia or Aα
* Ib or Golgi or Aα
* II or Aβ and Aγ
* III or Aδ or fast pain
* IV or C or slow pain

Efferent nerve fiber/
Motor neuron|

* GSE
* GVE
* SVE
* Upper motor neuron
* Lower motor neuron
* α motorneuron
* β motorneuron
* γ motorneuron

Termination|

| Synapse|

* Electrical synapse/Gap junction
* Chemical synapse
* Synaptic vesicle
* Active zone
* Postsynaptic density
* Autapse
* Ribbon synapse
* Neuromuscular junction

|

Sensory receptors|

* Meissner's corpuscle
* Merkel nerve ending
* Pacinian corpuscle
* Ruffini ending
* Muscle spindle
* Free nerve ending
* Nociceptor
* Olfactory receptor neuron
* Photoreceptor cell
* Hair cell
* Taste bud

ar:جهاز عصبي مركزي ast:Sistema nerviosu central ca:Sistema nerviós central cs:Centrální nervová soustava da:Centralnervesystemet de:Zentralnervensystem io:Centrala nervaro is:Miðtaugakerfið it:Sistema nervoso centrale he:מערכת העצבים המרכזית lt:Centrinė nervų sistema mk:Централен нервен систем nl:Centraal zenuwstelsel no:Sentralnervesystemet simple:Central nervous system sk:Centrálna nervová sústava sl:Osrednje živčevje sr:Централни нервни систем fi:Keskushermosto sv:Centrala nervsystemet uk:Центральна нервова система

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