The Nervous System

The Nervous System

The human nervous system is composed of many different parts and performs many different functions. It is said to be the “body’s electrical wiring.” (Zimmerman) The nervous system itself is capable of collecting information, processing it, and then responding to the collected information where it then sends it to the appropriate part of the body to perform bodily functions. (Miller and Levine) The nervous system, as hinted in the name, is composed of many different nerves which are cylindrical bundles of fibers. These nerves start at the brain and proceed to branch down throughout the body. (Zimmerman) The human nervous system is made up of two main zones; The Central Nervous System and The Peripheral Nervous System. These two main categories are interdependent and work together to maintain homeostasis internally and externally. (Kinser)

How do the signals throughout the body get passed along? Well, they are transmitted, by impulses, to specific parts of the body through what scientists know as neurons. (Zimmerman) Impulses begin when the environment or another neuron stimulates it. This is known as Synapses, “the point at which a neuron transfers an impulse to another cell.” Neurons are classified by the direction that they travel. Depending on the way that they move, they can be one of three different types of neurons; Sensory Neurons, Motor Neurons, or Interneurons. Sensory neurons are impulses that travel from sensory organs (eyes, ears) to the spinal cord and then to the brain. Motor neurons come from the brain first and then to muscle and glands. Lastly, Interneurons are a bit more advanced. They are responsible to process information, and then deliver them to motor neurons or even to other interneurons. T...

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... These are cells that respond to heat. They are in the skin, and also in the hypothalamus, which is in the brain. All of these receptors enable the body to function and respond the way they do. (Miller and Levine)

Works Cited

Zimmermann, Kim Ann. "Nervous System: Facts, Function & Diseases." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 24 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 May 2014.

Kinser, Patricia Anne. "Brain Structures and Their Functions." Brain Structures and Their Functions. Paul Grobstein, 2000. Web. 20 May 2014.

Smith, Melinda, and Lawrence Robinson. "Understanding Addiction." : How Addiction Hijacks the Brain. Robert Segal, 1999. Web. 20 May 2014.

Chudler, Eric H. "Neuroscience For Kids." Cells of the Nervous System. N.p., 1996. Web. 20 May 2014.

Miller, Kenneth R., and Joseph S. Levine. "The Nervous System." Miller & Levine Biology. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012. 894-917. Print.