Crosstalk between Nervous and Other Body Systems

This report reflects on the crosstalk between the nervous and endocrine system and how they work together to maintain growth, homeostasis, and reproduction. It discusses nerve impulse transmission, reflex action, and the relationship between skin, circulatory, and nervous system. The report also highlights the difference between the endocrine system and nervous system.

Running head: CROSSTALK BETWEEN AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
Cross talk between Nervous and other Body Systems
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

1CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
Executive Summary:
The aim of this report is to reflect on the crosstalk between the two most important organ
systems of the body, the nervous and the endocrine system and how they together control the rest
of the body systems to sustain life. Every system in the body has different purpose and function
it needs to obey to maintain homeostasis. The epicenter of the body function is dependent on the
action and convey messages of by neurotransmission.

2CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Discussion:.......................................................................................................................................3
Nerve Impulse Transmission:......................................................................................................5
Mechanism of Reflex Action:......................................................................................................6
Relationship between Skin, Circulatory and Nervous System:...................................................7
Crosstalk between Nervous system and Endocrine system:........................................................8
Difference between Endocrine system and Nervous system:......................................................8
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................9
References:....................................................................................................................................10

3CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
Introduction:
Nervous system is the control centre of the body, responsible for sending instruction to
various parts and maintains the functional and organizational system. Every other system of the
body has to coordinate with the nervous system in order to sustain life. The basic mechanism of
nervous system occurs through neurotransmission and response to external stimuli is done by
reflex action. Endocrine system is another important organ system which works parallely with
nervous system to regulate proper body function. The aim of this report is to reflect upon the
crosstalk between nervous and endocrine system.
Discussion:
Nervous system is the organ system of the body, present in animals responsible for
directing and synchronizing different activities of the body by generating electro-chemical
impulses. The nervous system comprises of the following organs like, brain, spinal cord, and a
dense network of nerve cells that spread all over the body (PubMed Health, 2018).
The nervous system is subdivided in two categories, the Central Nervous System (CNS)
and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
Central nervous system: It consisted of the brain and the spinal cord. It receives
integrated information from the body and conveys coordinated instructions to control the
activities of various parts of the body.
Peripheral nervous system: It consists of nerve cells and ganglia cells which are
required to form a link between CNS and the rest of the body. The peripheral nervous system
consists of two subdivisions, autonomous nervous system and somatic nervous system.

4CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
Autonomic nervous system or ANS consists of motor nerves that are responsible for
controlling involuntary actions like respiration, heartbeat, and peristaltic movements of the
digestive system.
The difference between CNS, PNS and ANS is as follows:
Central Nervous System Peripheral Nervous System Autonomous Nervous System
1. It is the controlling
centre of the nervous
system.
2. It consists of brain and
spinal cord.
3. It controls the total
function of the body
and is responsible for
all the reactions
against any stimulus.
1. It is the system that
links the CNS with the
rest of the body
2. It consists of neural
cells and ganglia cells.
3. It is responsible for
interlinking and
connecting the brain
and spinal cord with
that of the rest of the
systems of the body.
1. It is the part of the
PNS that controls the
involuntary actions of
the body.
2. It consists of
sympathetic and
parasympathetic
nervous system.
3. Autonomous nervous
systems stimulate all
the functions which
occur without the
cognition of the
muscle.

5CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
Nerve Impulse Transmission:
The stimulus carried by a nerve to one end of the cell to the brain is done through a series
of electrochemical gradient, called a nerve impulse.
The transmission of a neuronal impulse along a neuron from end to end is a result of
generation of an electrical gradient due to difference in electrical potentials between two charged
membrane surfaces. Incidence of a stimulus starts a series of biochemical reactions to generate
chemicals called neurotransmitters which acts as a signaling molecule to open ion channels to
allow influx of ions which leads to difference of membrane potential. The internal compartment
of the cell is usually more negative than outside in an unstimulated nerve.
Membrane polarization is established when an excessive sodium ions is present on the
outside and an excessive potassium ions is present on the inside of a cell. The ion channels
maintains the balance between n K + and Na + ions to impair constant charge leakage.

6CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
Fig 1: Generation of action potential
Source: (Sensory & Nervous system, 2018)
When action potentials travel along neuronal axons, the membrane potential changes
from -70mV to approximately +30mV, after which it returns to its resting state (Fig 1). This
change in electric potential results from swift chronological opening and closing of voltage-gated
Na+ and K+ ion channels. Na+ ions flows rapidly inside the cell, promoted by both
concentration and membrane potential. The rapid entry of Na+ ions leads to sudden change in the
membrane potential, which immediately increases to approximately +30 mV, where the Na+
channels are inactivated by opening of voltage-gated K+ channels, significantly increasing the
membrane permeability towards K+ ions. Then K+ ions flows rapidly out of the cell, driven by
action of membrane potential and its concentration gradient, rapidly leading to a decrease in
membrane potential about -75mV. This change in membrane potential inactivates K+ channels
and the membrane returns to its resting potential of -70mV. The flow of K+ and Na+ through the
channels determines the membrane potential in unstimulated cells.
Mechanism of Reflex Action:
Reflex action is a neurological mechanism that occurs in the autonomous nervous system
in response to an external stimulus (Saladin, 2015). The reflex arc consists of five steps
described in the Fig 2.

7CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
Fig No: 2 Pathway of Reflex Arc in Tissues.
Source: (Marieb and Hoehn, 2013)
1. Receptor centre – This is the nerve ending (dendrite) attached to skin surface receptors
which detects the external stimulus.
2. Sensory nerve cell – The function of this nerve is to transmit the stimulus in the form of
electrical impulses to the brain and spinal cord.
3. Inter-nerve cell: These types of neurons are called relay neurons, which functions as a
processing centre, conducting impulse and relaying reflex from the grey matter to the
motor nerve.
4. Motor nerve cell: This nerve carries the output impulse of action from brain or spinal
cord to the effecter nerve cell.
5. Effecter nerve cell: This type of nerve cell gives off the reflex response to the stimulus
which may or may not be at the same position of the reception centre.
Relationship between Skin, Circulatory and Nervous System:
The skin, nervous system and circulatory system work in harmony to protect the body
from harm. The nerve endings on the skin receives stimulus which directs it to move away from
danger in a matter of milliseconds. The protection of the skin is done by the somatic nervous
system. The lymphatic system connects the nervous and the circulatory system and helps
maintaining the cardiac output and blood pressure (Mancia and Grassi, 2014). The nervous
system sends impulses that direct the circulatory system to provide blood circulation to various
parts of the body. Incoming of an external stimulus on skin or other dangers, nerve impulses are
sent to the brain via neurons which in turn increases heart rate via sympathetic nervous system.

8CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
Also in contact with danger the kidney starts secreting epinephrine (adrenaline) which also
increases heart rate to stimulate “flight or fight” instinct. The circulatory system in turn regulates
body temperature as an effect of adrenaline.
Crosstalk between Endocrine system and Nervous system:
The nervous system and endocrine system work in union with each other to maintain
growth, homeostasis, and reproduction. Functionally, both the nervous and endocrine systems
work together with one another by reacting to chemical, environmental and endocrinal changes.
Homeostatic maintenance and response to internal and external changes to the body is
coordinated by them. An example of this can be observed in a lactating mother. The sensory cells
in a lactating mother’s nipple receive when a baby sucks on it, thereby sending signal into
hypothalamus where the hormone oxytocin is released. Oxytocin then travels via blood stream
and stimulates the mammary gland and produces milk (Crowley, 2014). Similarly, during
puberty hormones are released, testosterone in males and estrogen in females which controls
sexual maturity. Nervous system responds to sexual stimulus after the onset of puberty (Plant,
2015).
Difference between Endocrine system and Nervous system:
Endocrine system and Nervous systems work together in higher animals and regulate
various activities and coordinate billions of cells. The endocrine systems secrete various
signaling molecules (hormones) to send instructions to specific target cells. Nervous system on
the other hand communicates with their target cells via chemical neurotransmitters which
connects neurons. The Endocrine system secretes hormones into the blood stream which is taken
up by target cells through the extracellular fluid. Nervous system communicates with target cells
via paracrine signaling, interconnected by neurons which convey electrochemical messages

9CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
using neurotransmission (Alberts, 2015). Endocrine systems are slowly transmitted while
Nervous system is extremely rapid.
Conclusion:
All the organ systems in the body work in harmony to sustain life. Skeletal system
provides structure, circulatory system provides blood, oxygen and hormonal circulation,
alimentary system provides nutrition, respiratory system carries out gaseous exchange,
reproductive system transfers genetic material to progeny, immune system protects body from
foreign infection and excretory system removes waste. All of these processes are dependent on
the combination of both nervous and endocrine system. Arguably, it should be mentioned that
endocrine system is first system to mature during the early development of fetus. The crosstalk
between nervous system and endocrine system is intercalated in such a manner that disorder in
either will affect both as well as the rest of the body system. Neurological disorders are often
times the resultant of a premature endocrine disorder during developmental stages.

10CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
References:
Alberts, B., 2015. Molecular biology of the cell. New York, NY [u.a.]: Garland Science.
Crowley, W., 2014. Neuroendocrine Regulation of Lactation and Milk
Production. Comprehensive Physiology, pp.255-291.
Hall, J.E., 2015. Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology e-Book. Elsevier Health
Sciences.
Lacroix, J.J., Campos, F.V., Frezza, L. and Bezanilla, F., 2013. Molecular bases for the
asynchronous activation of sodium and potassium channels required for nerve impulse
generation. Neuron, 79(4), pp.651-657.
Mancia, G. and Grassi, G., 2014. The Autonomic Nervous System and
Hypertension. Circulation Research, 114(11), pp.1804-1814.
Marieb, E., Hoehn, K. and Hutchinson, M., 2013. Human anatomy & physiology. [San
Francisco, Calif.]: Pearson Education/Benjamin Cummings.
Nieuwenhuys, R., Hans, J. and Nicholson, C., 2014. The central nervous system of vertebrates.
Springer.
Plant, T., 2015. Neuroendocrine control of the onset of puberty. Frontiers in
Neuroendocrinology, 38, pp.73-88.
Pohl, H.R., Wheeler, J.S. and Murray, H.E., 2013. Sodium and potassium in health and disease.
In Interrelations between essential metal ions and human diseases (pp. 29-47). Springer,
Dordrecht.

11CROSSTALK BETWEEN NERVOUS AND OTHER BODY SYSTEMS
PubMed Health., 2018. Nervous System - National Library of Medicine - PubMed Health.
[online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0025454/ [Accessed 8
Feb. 2018].
Saladin, K., 2015. Anatomy & physiology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
SENSORY & NERVOUS SYSTEM., 2018. Electrical Signals. [online] Available at:
https://sensoryandnervous.wordpress.com/nervous/physiology/electrical-signals/ [Accessed 8
Feb. 2018].