Department of

Cellular and Physiological Sciences

Central Nervous System (CNS)

(PP: 98 – 126)

Presented by: Dr. M. Doroudi

[email protected]
 Lecture objectives
• Explain the classification of the nervous system.
• Identify the main components of the central nervous
system.
• Briefly discuss the main anatomical features of the
spinal cord and its major sensory and motor
pathways.
• Briefly discuss the main anatomical features of the
brainstem, cerebellum, diencephalon, and cerebral
hemispheres.
• Define the major anatomical features of brain stem,
cerebellum, diencephalon, and cerebral hemispheres.
• Discuss the cerebral ventricles, meninges and cerebrospinal
fluid circulation.
 Brain
Cranial nerves
CNS

Spinal nerves PNS

Spinal cord

Peripheral ganglia

Figure: 3.1
Figure: 3.1
 Nervous System Divisions Subdivisions

Telencephalon
(cerebrum)
Forebrain
(Prosencephalon)
Diencephalon
(thalamus, etc.)
Brain
Midbrain -
Central Nervous
(Mesencephalon)
System (CNS)
Metencephalon
(pons and
Hindbrain cerebellum)
(Rhombencephalon)
Myelencephalon
(medulla
oblongata)

Spinal
cord
Peripheral nervous Cranial nerves (12 pairs)
system (PNS)
Spinal nerve (31 pairs) Table: 3.1
Figure: 3.2
 2 1

Brain
3
1. Prosencephalon

2. Mesencephalon

3. Rhombencephalon

Spinal cord Figure: 3.2

Rhombencephalon:

3. Metencephalon
4. Myelencephalon

3
2

Prosencephalon:

Spinal cord 1. Telencephalon

2. Diencephalon

Figure: 3.2
 Midbrain

Cerebellum

Medulla
Pons
Oblongata

Spinal cord

Figure: 3.2
 Cerebrum
Midbrain

Diencephalon
Cerebellum
Pons

Medulla
Spinal cord Oblongata Figure: 3.2
 Nucleus Vs. Ganglion
Tracts/Fasciculi
Cortex (gray matter)

White matter
 Spinal Cord
Cervical
Enlargement

Lumbosacral
LI - LII
Enlargement
Infants: LIII
Conus
Medularis

Figure: 3.3
 Post. Ant.(ventral)
Horn Lat. Post. (dorsal) Column
Ant. Lat.

Dorsal root

Dorsal Root
Ganglion

Spinal Cord
Figure: 3.4
Segment Ventral root
Spinal Cord Nerves
(Associated with
segments)

Figure: 3.3
 Spinal Cord Tracts (Pathways)

Figure: 3.5
 Introduction to the sensory Pathways
Thalamus

3rd order Cerebrum

neuron
1) Number of neurons
Brainstem from the departure
2nd order
to the destination
neuron 2) Location of the
order-neurons
Spinal Cord 3) Crossing the midline
1st order (Except for cerebellar
neuron
DRG pathways)
Dorsal
Spinocerebellar
Tract
Dorsal Column
(medial lemniscus)
Tract

Midbrain
- Gracile and Cuneate
nuclei
- Medial Lemniscus
Medulla
DRG

Spinal cord Conscious

Proprioception +
fine touch
Figure: 3.6
Lateral & Anterior
Spinothalamic Tract

Midbrain

Medulla
DRG

Pain, temperature + Spinal cord

crude ( non-discriminative)
touch
Figure: 3.6
 DESCENDING (Motor)TRACTS

Pyramidal Tracts (Control skeletal muscles of

the trunk and limbs)
• Lateral corticospinal tract
• Ventral corticospinal tract

Extrapyramidal Tracts (Regulate subconscious

or postural movements)
• *Rubrospinal tract
• Tectospinal tract
• Vestibulospinal tract
• Reticulospinal tract
 Introduction to Motor Pathways
Upper Motor Neuron
(UMN)

Cerebrum

1) Location of the UMNs of

Pyramidal tracts VS. Brainstem
UMNs of extrapyramidal
tracts
2) Location of LMNs of
both

Spinal Cord

Lower Motor Neuron

(LMN)
Corticospinal Tract

Midbrain

pons
Ant. Corticospinal
Medulla

Lat. Corticospinal

Spinal cord

Figure: 3.7
Rubrospinal Tract
 Brainstem

4th Cerebral ventricle

Cerebellum

Midbrain

pons

Medulla
oblongata
1. Passageway of tracts
2. C.N. nuclei III to XII
3. Autonomic Spinal cord
behaviours Figure: 3.10
Medulla
Oblongata

Ponto-medullary
sulcus

Pyramid
CN IX
CN X
CN XI
CN XII
Medulla
Oblongata

Olive

CN XII
Medulla CNX 4th Ventricle CNVIII
Nucleus Nuclei
Oblongata
CNXII
Nucleus Nucleus
Gracilis &
Cuneatus

Inf. Olivary
Med. Nucleus
Lemniscus

Corticospinal Tract
(Pyramid)

Figure: 3.8
Pons

Basilar sulus
Midbrain

CN V

Pons CN VI

CN VII

Medulla CN VIII
 Sup. & Inf.
Colliculi
Midbrain

4th Cerebral
ventricle

pons
Cerebellar
peduncles

Medulla Cranial
oblongata nerves

Figure: 3.8
 4th Ventricle C.N. nuclei V,
VI, VII, and VIII
CNV
Nucleus

Med.
Lemniscus

Pontine Corticospinal
Nuclei tract

Internal Features of the Pons

Midbrain

Crus cerebri of CN III

cerebral
CN IV
peduncle
Midbrain

Sup. Colliculus

Inf. Colliculus
 Cerebral
Sup. Colliculus
Aqueduct

CN III Nucleus

Figure: 3.9

Substantia
Nigra

Red Crus cerebri of

Nucleus cerebral peduncle
(contains motor
Internal Features of the Midbrain pathways)
 Cerebellum (Location)

Primary
Anterior fissure
lobe

Posterior Folia
lobe
Left Hemisphere Right Hemisphere
of Cerebellum of Cerebellum

Figure: 3.10
Vermis
 Cerebellum (Internal
Features)
Anterior lobe
Primary
fissure

Cerebellar
cortex

4th cerebral
ventricle
Posterior
Figure: 3.10 lobe
Cerebellar
Peduncles

Superior cerebellar
peduncle
Middle cerebellar
peduncle
Inferior cerebellar
peduncle

Figure: 3.8
 Diencephalon
Thalamus
Cerebral hemisphere
Pineal
gland

3rd cerebral
ventricle
Hypothalamus

Midbrain

Figure: 3.11
 Cerebrum

Gyrus
Sulcus Cortex
(gray matter)

Core
(white matter)

Figure: 3.12
Parieto-occipital
Cerebral Hemisphere
Central
sulcus sulcus

Parietal lobe
Frontal lobe

Insula
Occipital
lobe
Temporal lobe

Lateral sulcus

Figure: 3.12
 Basal Ganglia

Basal Ganglia

Caudate
nucleus
Lentiform
(lenticular)
Nucleus
Putamen

Globus pallidus

Figure: 3.13
 White Matter & its nerve bundles
Cerebral white matter Cerebral cortex

Internal Corpus
Capsule callosum

Caudate
nucleus

Putamen

Association
Globus Commissural
pallidus Thalamus Projection Figure: 3.13
 Inter-ventricular
Foramen (of Lateral ventricle
Monro)

Third
ventricle

Cerebral
aqueduct
Lateral
aperture
Median Fourth
ventricle Cerebral Ventricles
aperture
Figure: 3.14
 Inter-ventricular Cerebral Ventricles Lateral ventricle
foramen

Third
ventricle

Cerebral
aqueduct Lateral
aperture

Central Fourth
canal ventricle
Figure: 3.14
 Meninges Superior Arachnoid villus
sagittal sinus

Skin
Dura
mater

Periosteal
Bone
Meningeal

Arachnoid
mater

Subarachnoid Pia mater

space

Figure: 3.15
 Spinal cord meninges

Pia mater

Denticulate
Lig.

Subarachnoid Arachnoid mater

space

Dura mater

Figure: 3.16
 Pia mater
Epidural space
Arachnoid
mater

Dura mater
Subarachnoid
space

Spinal cord meninges

 Dural Reflections
Superior & Inferior
Falx cerebri
sagittal sinus

Falx
cerebelli

Figure: 3.17
Arachnoid Sup. Sagittal sinus
villus / granulation

Lat. ventricle

Interventricular
foramen

4th ventricle 3rd ventricle

Median aperture
Cerebral aqueduct
Subarachnoid space
Formation & Circulation of CSF
Figure: 3.18
 Formation & Circulation of CSF

Filum Terminale Dura mater &

Lumbar subarachnoid space
Puncture (Spinal close off at the level of
Tap) SII (Lumbar Cistern)