Information About the Nervous System
The nervous system is the central part of communication for the body. It consists of the brain and the neurons that transmit the electrical impulses. It is also responsible for receiving information from the senses, which helps the body detect pain or its environment for survival.
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Neurons
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The functional component that delivers messages is the neuron. The neuron consists of dendrites (branched structures that retrieve signals), axion (large branches that send signals) and the cell body that contains all the functional components of a cell like mitochondria and DNA.
Central Nervous System
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The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. As the name suggests, it's the central point for communication of sensory systems, and the start for electrical impulses for body movement and organ control.
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Peripheral Nervous System
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The peripheral nervous system is the extended system away from the spinal cord that retrieves sensory information. There are two categories of the peripheral nervous system--the somatic and the autonomous systems.
Somatic System
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The somatic system is the term used that controls skeletal muscle. It's a voluntary system that sends impulses to synapses that innervate muscle.
Autonomous System
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The autonomous system is responsible for organs that are not directly controlled voluntarily. It's responsible for the movement of food down the esophagus, heart control and glandular contractions.
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References
- Photo Credit Neurons (Flickr - Benedict Campbell)
