Table of Contents
What are the parts of the central nervous system?
Central Nervous System: brain and spinal cord. Our bodies couldn’t operate without the nervous system – the complex network that coordinates our actions, reflexes, and sensations. Broadly speaking, the nervous system is organised into two main parts, the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).
Where does the peripheral nervous system originate from?
Peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system consists of 12 pairs of cranial nerves, 31 pairs of spinal nerves, and all their branches. Spinal nerves originate from spinal cord segments and innervate the body. Cranial nerves originate from the brainstem, predominantly innervating the head and neck region.
How is the spinal cord connected to the brain?
The brain generates commands for target tissues and the spinal cord acts as a conduit, connecting the brain to peripheral tissues via the PNS. The brain is divided into the cerebrum, diencephalon, cerebellum, and brainstem. The spinal cord is continuous with the brainstem.
Which is the functional unit of the nervous system?
A neuron (nerve cell) is the functional unit of the nervous system. They receive and transmit neural impulses. Meaning that, neurons receive, process and integrate information from all regions of the body and send instructions on how body tissues are to respond to environmental and internal events.
Is the CNS the processing center of the body?
The CNS is the processing centre of the body and consists of the brain and the spinal cord. Both of these are protected by three layers of membranes known as meninges.
Which is part of the brain connects to the spinal cord?
The midbrain (derived from the mesencephalon in the developing brain) serves as the vital connection point between the forebrain and the hindbrain. It’s the top part of the brainstem, which connects the brain to the spinal cord. The hindbrain (derived from the rhombencephalon in the developing brain) is the lowest back portion of the brain,
How is the brain and spinal cord protected?
For further protection, the brain is encased within the hard bones of the skull, while the spinal cord is protected with the bony vertebrae of our backbones. A third form of protection is cerebrospinal fluid, which provides a buffer that limits impact between the brain and skull or between spinal cord and vertebrae.