Science

• The nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves.
• The nervous system is divided into two, the central nervous system & the peripheral nervous system
• The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord
• The nervous system plays a very significant role in controlling all body activities. It is made up of billions of nerve cells.
• The brain & spinal cord are protected from injury by bones & protective membranes called meninges.
• The central nervous system controls all the activities of the body, including internal organ functions, sensory perception, conscious movement, & complex functions.
• The human brain is made up of more than 100 billion neurons/nerve cells.
• The brain is subdivided into three main parts, the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem
• Cerebrum is the largest portion of the brain. It is made up of two cerebral hemispheres. These are connected by nerves that form a structure called the corpus collosum. Deep grooves seperate each hemisphere into four lobes. The frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes.
• The highly folded outer layer of the cerebrum is called the cerebral cortex.
• The cerebrum is the origin of thinking and awareness.
• The cerebrum controls thoughts, memory, learning, sense of sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and some voluntary movements.
• Cerebellum is smaller and it lies below the cerebrum. It is responsible for motor control and balance.
• Brain stem is the smallest part of the brain. It is located at the base of the skull.
• The brain stem relays information to and from the cerebrum and plays a role in controlling body actions.
• The brain stem has three main sections, the midbrain, medulla oblongata and the pons.
• The midbrain controls reflexes such as adjusting the size of the pupils of the eye.
• The medulla oblongata is a group of neurons that serves as both a nerve relay station and a control center.
• The pons serves as a relay station between the nerves of the cerebrum & those of the cerebellum. It also relays messages between the midbrain & the medulla oblongata.
• Two structures near the upper brain stem work in the central nervous system. The thalamus and the hypothalamus.
• The thalamus directs all incoming sensor impulses, except odors, to the proper region of the cerebral cortex.
• The hypothalamus, located just below the thalamus, is connected by nerve fiber with the thalamus, cerebral cortex, and parts of the brain stem.
• Your spine is made up of series of bones called verterbrae.
• A channel, called the spinal canal, is in the center of these vertebrae.
• A liquid called spinal fluid bathes the spinal cord.
• 31 pairs of nerves branch out from the spinal cord.
• The peripheral nervous system system consiste of a network of the nerves to ensure the steady flow of signals and information in and out of the brain.
• 12 pairs of cranial nerves connect the brain to various parts of the head & the upper neck. The 31 spinal nerves connect the spinal cord to all the remaining parts of the body