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Nervous System

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The Nervous System

The nervous system is the most complex part of the body, as they govern our thoughts, feelings, and bodily functions. It is an important factor in science because it can lead to new discoveries for cures or diseases. The studies of the nervous system helped lower death rates from heart disease, stroke, accidents, etc. The nervous system is a network of neurons (nerve cells) that that sends information to the brain to be analyzed. Neurons live both in and outside the central nervous system. Understanding how the neurons work is vital to understanding the nervous system. Neurons The neuron has two important structures called the dendrite and axon, also called nerve fibers. The dendrites are like tentacles that sprout from …show more content…

Central Nervous System The brain and spinal cord forms the Central Nervous System. The spinal cord gathers information from the neurons and sends it to the brain, but not all nerve impulses get sent to the brain. Only a few impulses reach the brain, and an even smaller number reaches the part of the brain where they cause awareness. The brain and spinal cord is made up of gray and white matter, as well as the various nerve cells. The brain is divided into three parts: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. The forebrain is called the cerebrum, the largest and most developed part of the human brain. It is divided by the longitudinal sulcus, a deep crevice that separates the forebrain into the left and right cerebral hemispheres. Each hemispheres control the motor (movement) and sensory (sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch) functions of the other side of the body. The two hemispheres are divided into four lobes: the frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobe. The frontal lobe is involved with muscle control from head to toe. The parietal lobe obtains sensory information from the skin and muscles. The occipital lobe receives information from vision, and the temporal lobe controls speech. Although the four lobes do different jobs, they communicate with each other to allow the brain to coordinate a response. The cerebrum combines the mixtures of sight, sound, smell, and

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