Nervous System

• The nervous system relies on two different organ systems: the nervous system and the endocrine system.
• The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves that connect them.
• The structure of a nerve cell, also known as a neuron, is long, thin, and has many branch connections to either end, enabling it to pass messages onto other nerve cells effectively.
• A reflex arc is a nerve pathway that underlies our unconscious reflexes such as when you instantly move your hand away from a hot pan or blink when something touches your eye.
• The benefit of having reflexes is that they're rapid and automatic, helping us to avoid getting hurt.
• A nerve cell, or neuron, can also be referred to as a nerve fiber.
• A synapse is a connection between the cells, where an electrical impulse hitting the end of a nerve causes the release of some chemicals which diffuse across the gap to the next nerve cell, triggering another electrical impulse.
• The structure of the whole nervous system consists of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, which includes all the nerves that connect them.
• The central nervous system, or CNS, is where all the thinking takes place, receiving sensory information, deciding what needs to be done about it, and then sending out orders to the rest of the body.
• The peripheral nervous system, or PNS, includes all the nerves that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body.
• Sensory neurons carry information from receptors all over our body to the central nervous system, providing information about changes in temperature or the level of carbon dioxide in our bloodstream.
• Motor neurons, another type of nerve cell, send impulses back out to the body via effectors such as muscles or glands, telling them to contract or release hormones.
• The whole nervous system works together to detect changes both inside and outside of our bodies, sort through all that information, and then respond to it.
• A reflex arc is a special case of all of this in action, a nerve pathway that underlies our unconscious reflexes such as when you instantly move your hand away from a hot pan or blink when something touches your eye.
• The benefit of having reflexes is that they're rapid and automatic, helping us to avoid getting hurt.
• A nerve cell, or neuron, can also be referred to as a nerve fiber.
• A synapse is a connection between the cells, where an electrical impulse hitting the end of a nerve causes the release of some chemicals which diffuse across the gap to the next nerve cell, triggering another electrical impulse.
• The structure of the whole nervous system consists of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, which includes all the nerves that connect them.
• The central nervous system, or CNS, is where all the thinking takes place, receiving sensory information, deciding what needs to be done about it, and then sending out orders to the rest of the body.
• The peripheral nervous system, or PNS, includes all the nerves that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body.
• Sensory neurons carry information from receptors all over our body to the central nervous system, providing information about changes in temperature or the level of carbon dioxide in our bloodstream.
• Motor neurons, another type of nerve cell, send impulses back out to the body via effectors such as muscles or glands, telling them to contract or release hormones.