NERVOUS SYSTEM : LEC / 8 Physiology of Nerves and Muscles the Nervous System Is One of the Most Complicated System of the Body in Both Structure and Function
Medical physiology Lecturer Second Stage Hiba Hazim Saleh NERVOUS SYSTEM : LEC / 8 Physiology of nerves and muscles The nervous system is one of the most complicated system of the body in both structure and function. It senses physical and chemical changes in the internal and external environment, processes them, and then responds to maintain homeostasis. Voluntary activities, such as walking and talking, and involuntary activities, such as digestion and circulation, are coordinates, regulated, and integrated by the nervous system. The entire neural network of the body relies on the transmission of nervous impulses. Nervous impulses are electrochemical stimuli that travel from cell to cell as they send information from one area of the body to another. The speed at which this occurs is almost instantaneous, thus providing an immediate response change. (Figure -1. ) Muscles Muscle tissue is composed of contractile cells or fibers that provide movement of an organ or body part. Muscles contribute to posture, produce body heat, and act as a protective covering for internal organs. Muscles make up the bulk of the body. They have the ability to be excited by a stimulus, contract, relax, and return to their original size and shape. Whether muscles are attached to bones or to internal organs and blood vessels, their primary responsibility is movement. Apparent motion provided by muscles include walking and talking. Less apparent motion include the passage and elimination of food through the digestive system, propulsion of blood through the arteries, and contraction of the bladder to eliminate urine. (Figure -2 .) Figure -1 Figure-2 Never Cell (Neuron): Nerve Cell: Is a basic unit of nervous system.
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