The Nervous System

Running Head : Nervous System

The Nervous System

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Abstract

The nervous system is the organ system in the human body that is responsible for bodily functions such as muscle mechanisms , reception of stimuli and nerve impulse transmission . Its main components are the Central Nervous System (CNS ) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS

Outline

Introduction

The Central Nervous System

The Brain

The Spinal Cord

The Peripheral Nervous System

The Autonomic and the Sensory-Somatic Nervous Systems

The Motor and

Sensory Nerves

Ailments and Injuries of the Nervous System

Head Injuries

Stroke

Epilepsy

Conclusion

The Nervous System

The nervous system is often described as a biological information highway (Biology Online , 2000 . This portrayal most likely stemmed from the fact that the nervous system is responsible for directing all biological processes in the human body , including movement . It has also the capacity to receive and interpret information through electrical signals . The nervous system is made up of the Central Nervous System (CNS ) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS (Biology Online , 2000

The Central Nervous System

The Central Nervous System (CNS ) is made up of the brain and the spinal cord . The brain is tasked with processing and initiating responses from nerves throughout the entire body . The spinal cord , meanwhile facilitates the passage of sensory information to and from the brain From the CNS , information will then proceed to the peripheral nervous system (Answers , 2008

The Brain

The brain is regarded as the center of the CNS . Although it weighs only less than 3 pounds , it is composed of almost 100 billion nerve cells The brain regulates both voluntary and involuntary bodily procedures such as breathing and movement , respectively . This organ is likewise known as the seat of thought , creativity and consciousness (Discovery Communications , 2000

The brain is made up of the following regions : the forebrain , the midbrain and the hindbrain . The forebrain controls intelligence , memory personality , emotion and the ability to speak , feel and move . The midbrain coordinates the transfer of sensory information from the brain to the spinal cord . The hindbrain is responsible for bodily functions such as heart rate , breathing , swallowing , blood pressure , blinking and digestion (Nemours Foundation , 2008

The Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is made up of nerves that facilitate the exchange of nerve impulses between the brain and the rest of the body . Upper motor neurons (UMNs ) refer to nerves that lie within the spinal cord . UMNs are responsible for the transmission of messages between the brain and the spinal nerves that are located along the spinal tract . Lower motor neurons (LMNs , meanwhile , are spinal nerves that branch out to the rest of the body from the spinal cord . LMNs transmit messages to and from the brain in for the body to be able to come up with actions including muscle movement and sensation (Spinal Cord Injury Resource Center n .d

The Peripheral Nervous System

The peripheral nervous system is composed of neurons or nerves that do not constitute the spinal cord or...