The Nervous System

What is the Nervous System?

The nervous system is a complex collection of specialized cells that interact and communicate to provide an individual with information about themselves and their surroundings.

How does it work?

Once any information is received the brain then analyses and assesses the information before reacting and responding in the required manner.

What makes up the Nervous System?

The entire nervous system can be largely broken down into two broad groupings; the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system.

The peripheral nervous system comprises of the sensory neurons and the neurons that join them to the central nervous system.

The central nervous system is the largest part of the nervous system and consists of the brain, the spinal cord and the nerve cord. The central nervous system is heavily protected by the body as its components are situated within the spinal cavity (within the vertebrae), the dorsal cavity and the cranial cavity (the skull).

Do the two systems work in unison or separate from each other?

The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system operate in unison to control behavior and movement as the body responds to stimuli that it receives from the sensory neurons. The peripheral systems detects the stimuli passes this information onto the central nervous system so that it can be conveyed to the brain.