Understanding the Nervous System: Central and Peripheral

The nervous system is made up of two major parts: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.

The central system is the main command center for the body and is comprised of the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system contains a network of nerves that connect the rest of the body to the central nervous system. The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system work together to collect information from within the body and from the environment outside it. The systems process all the collected information and send instructions to the rest of the body, to obtain an appropriate response. The brain is the final stopping point for the information gathered by the rest of the nervous system, once the data arrives, the brain will sort and file it

Information conveyed through the nervous system moves along networks of cells called neurons.

A typical neuron has a cell body and long arms that conducts impulses from one body part to another body part, the nerve processes consist of axons and dendrites which are able to conduct and transmit signals. Axons will mostly carry signals away from the cell body, they are long nerve processes that can branch out to send signals to various areas. Dendrites however usually carry signals toward the cell body. They are usually more, shorter and more branched than axons.

Axons and dendrites are bundled together into what are called nerves. These nerves send signals to the brain, spinal cord, and other body organs via nerve impulses.

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Sensory Organs

The nervous system and the important sensory organs play a key role in the day-to-day functioning, There are twelve cranial nerve pairs that transmit special sensory information on the senses of balance, smell, sight, taste, and hearing. The nervous system merges and controls