The entire nerve apparatus composed of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and ganglia.
Comprised of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and the sense organs, it serves as the control center and communication network within the body.
A system of microscopic cells that specialize in the conduction of impulses and are located in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
A network of nerve cells, brain, and spinal cord which regulates and coordinates body activities.
The network of connections that receives and registers information from within and outside the body, interprets it, and transmits information that causes the body to take actions. In terms of the body’s anatomy, the “command center” is the central nervous system (CNS), made up of the brain and spinal cord. Transmitting information between the CNS and the outlying parts of the body is a network of nerves called the peripheral nervous system (PNS). In terms of the body’s functioning, the nervous system is divided differently. The autonomic nervous system controls the actions that the body makes “automatically” or “involuntarily,” such as heartbeat, breathing, production of substances by various glands, and the like. The autonomic nervous system is itself made up of two complementary systems: The sympathetic nervous system (controlled by the hypothalamus) responds to situations such as danger or exercise by speeding up heartbeat and breathing and raising blood pressure, while the parasympathetic nervous system slows heartbeat and breathing, causing a general relaxation, as when danger has passed or during sleep. Parallel with the autonomic nervous system is the somatic nervous system, which responds to and provides the brain with information about voluntary movements of the body, as in walking or moving an arm.
Extensive network of cells, specialized to conduct information in the form of impulses, that controls, regulates, and coordinates all functions of the body. There are three main divisions: the central nervous system, made up of the brain and spinal cord; the peripheral nervous system, which includes the cranial nerves, spinal nerves; and the autonomic nervous system. The basic unit of the nervous system is the neuron, or nerve cell.
The vast body system that gathers information, stores it, and controls the body’s responses to it. The nervous system gathers data about both the external environment and the body’s own internal state, analyzes the data, and initiates and directs the body’s responses, ranging from automatic adjustment of body functions to complex motor movements and emotional or intellectual activity.
The vast network of cells specialized to carry information (in the form of nerve impulses) to and from all parts of the body in order to bring about bodily activity. The brain and spinal cord together form the central nervous system; the remaining nervous tissue is known as the peripheral nervous system and includes the autonomic nervous system, which is itself divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The basic functional unit of the nervous system is the neuron (nerve cell).
This extensive, complex and finely tuned network of billions of specialized cells called neurones is responsible for maintaining the body’s contacts with and responses to the outside world. The network also provides internal communication links in concert with hormones, the body’s chemical messengers between the body’s diverse organs and tissues, and, importantly, the brain stores relevant information as memory. Each neurone has a filamentous process of varying length called an axon along which passes messages in the form of electrochemically generated impulses. Axons are bundled together to form nerves.
One of the regulatory systems, made of millions of neurons in precise pathways to transmit electrochemical impulses, and of neuroglial cells that have several functions, including formation of myelin sheaths of neurons. It consists of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system [CNS]) and the cranial nerves and spinal nerves (peripheral nervous system), which include the nerves of the autonomic nervous system and its ganglia.
Body system composed of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves; controls and coordinates all other systems of the body and makes them work harmoniously and efficiently.
The integrated system of nerve tissue in the body that receives and interprets stimuli and transmits impulses to various organs. The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system.
Includes all of the neural structures in the body: the central nervous system consists of the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord; the peripheral nervous system consists of the nerve roots, nerve plexi, and nerves throughout the body; and the autonomic nervous system regulates the internal organs through a balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.
The intricate system of nerves, sensory organs, and the brain encompassing the entire body.
The bodily system responsible for collecting and retaining information, as well as regulating the body’s functions. It holds command over the body’s activities.
The central nervous system (CNS), comprising the brain and spinal cord, is composed of numerous interconnected neurons (nerve cells). Sensory information is received by the CNS from the sense organs, while motor commands are dispatched to skeletal muscles, speech-controlling muscles, internal organs, glands, and skin’s sweat glands. These signals are transmitted through nerves that extend from the CNS to the entire body, collectively forming the peripheral nervous system (PNS).
Every nerve is a collection made up of the axons (long, filament-like extensions) of numerous individual neurons.
There are functional categorizations as well. Two significant ones are the autonomic nervous system, which manages the automatic regulation of internal bodily functions, and the somatic nervous system, governing the muscles responsible for voluntary movements.
The primary role of the nervous system is to collect and assess data concerning the external surroundings and the internal condition of the body, and to initiate suitable reactions aimed at fulfilling specific needs.
The strongest urge is for survival. Numerous survival reactions, spanning from evading physical discomfort and peril to shivering due to cold, are instinctively and involuntarily activated by the nervous system. Additional urges are more intricate, centered on the desire to encounter favorable feelings (like joy and exhilaration) while evading unfavorable emotions (such as pain, apprehension, and discontent).
The nervous system primarily operates through reflexive reactions to stimuli, yet it can also enhance its capabilities through learning, facilitated by memory. Deliberate actions can be initiated by the activation of conscious regions within the brain. Some functions, like visual perception, memory, cognition, and speech generation, remain highly intricate and not entirely comprehended.
Conditions affecting the nervous system can arise from harm or dysfunction in any of its components. They can also stem from compromised sensory, cognitive, or memory abilities, as well as motor function impairments.