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Nervous System

Nervous System

The nervous system is the way the body transmits information from the senses and the outside world to the brain, and back. The human nervous system consists of the brain, spine, and the nerves.

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About Nervous System

What is the Nervous System?

The nervous system is often divided into the central nervous system (or CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (or PNS). The CNS is made up of the brain and the spinal cord. The PNS is made up of all other nerves and neurons that do not lie within the central nervous system. The large majority of what are commonly called nerves is considered to be a part of the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is divided further into the somatic nervous system and into the autonomic nervous system.

The somatic nervous system is responsible for the coordination of the body's movements, and for also receiving external stimuli. It is this system that regulates activities that are under conscious control.

The autonomic nervous system, comprises the sympathetic division, parasympathetic division, and enteric division. The sympathetic nervous system responds to impending dangers or stress, and is responsible for the increase of the heartbeat and the blood pressure, among other physiological changes, along with the sense of excitement one feels due to the increase of adrenaline in the system.

The parasympathetic nervous system, is evident when a person is resting and feels relaxed, and is responsible for such things as the constriction of the pupil, the slowing of the heart, the dilation of the blood vessels, and the stimulation of the digestive and genitourinary systems. The role of the enteric nervous system is to manage every phase of digestion, from the esophagus to the stomach, small intestine, and colon.

There are three essential parts of the human nervous system. These include the brain, the spine, and the nerves. The brain is comprised of three main parts that interact with the nervous system: The cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the medulla. The cerebrum's tasks include high order thinking and learning, while the cerebellum manages learned automatic bodily functions, such as walking, jumping, and running. The medulla processes simple body functions, including breathing and digestion.

Reflex reaction occur independent of the brain with the spinal cord being the center of the response. Split second reflex decisions do not involve sensory nerve impulses traveling to the brain and then back to the organ or body part.

This would take too long and the nerve impulse would arrive too late to prevent the stimulus from becoming a reality. For example, if a ball were thrown at an individual's head, the reflex to move out of the way would come from the spine, not the brain, thus improving reaction time. The spine is also the highway which passes orders from the brain to the motor nerves.

There are four kinds of nerves: Motor, sensory, afferent, and interneurons. Any messages carried in any of these nerve types travels in only one direction.

Created by vickiz

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Nervous System