With each case study, I will explore and analyze the various scenarios and the impact the ailments have on the nervous system. Each scenario has its own effect on areas of neurons, the method of sending and receiving neurotransmitters, and the lasting effects of the impaired neurons.
Case Study 1: Amy
Amy burns her finger while cooking dinner. The natural response for someone that touches something hot is to pull their hand away from the heat. This response is provoked by general sensory receptors in the skin. General sensory receptors make our bodies aware of external temperatures, and pain (Ireland, 2013). The general sensory receptor is an afferent neuron because it passes messages or signals through neurons and to the central …show more content…
The central nervous system sends and receives messages from the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system branches off of the central nervous system in bundled of nerves reaching out towards the body (Ireland, 2013). The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system works together to turn the signals into movement.
When Amy burned her hand, the neurons in the in her fingers sent the signal that Amy had encountered heat and that it was painful. Those signals then traveled to the central nervous system, which then sent a signal to the muscular and connective tissue in the arm, that commanded she move her hand from harm’s way.
There are over one hundred billion neurons in the body. These neurons are broken down into four groups. Motor neurons control the muscles. Sensory neurons carry messages from the body to the central nervous system. Receptors detect sensory information then transfers the information to sensory neurons. Interneurons bond other neurons inside the spin and brain (Craig Freudenrich, 2015).
The body has these nervous systems because it is vital for sustaining human life. The sensory receptors detect the surroundings, like temperature changes and the central nervous system controls our body. All of our muscles and organs depend on our nervous system to maintain homeostasis in our bodies (Craig Freudenrich, …show more content…
When a never receives the incitement, it generates a depolarizing current. This current equalizes the electrical potential between cells. Once the cells are equalized a positive flood of ions release across the membrane instigating electrical potential to fall (Multiple sclerosis, 2013).
Once action potential reaches its end, neurotransmitters are released in the synapse. The myelin coating around nerve fibers affect the speed of the action potential by increasing it. Multiple sclerosis evolves from a lack of myelin coating around the never, without this coating the axon is slowed down, which is slowing the signals being sent and received (Multiple sclerosis, 2013).
Because of the lack of clarity on the origin of multiple sclerosis scientist are studying the following areas; defects in the immune system, epidemiology, infectious agents, and genetics (National Multiple Sclerosis Society,