Central Nervous System

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Some common disorders affecting the central nervous system. These neurological disorders include multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and stroke, and can affect memory and ability to perform daily activities. The CNS is made up of the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord. The brain is the main data center of the body and consists of the cerebrum which regulates higher level functioning such as thought, and the cerebellum which maintains coordination. The central nervous system is protected in many ways. First of all the brain sits inside the skull and the spinal cord is surrounded by a series of vertebrae. Inside these bony structures lie a series of layers of tissue referred to as meninges. Extracellular fluid in the central nervous system (CNS) is composed of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), derived from the choroid plexus, and of interstitial fluid (ISF) in gray and white matter. The cerebrum, which develops from the front portion of the forebrain, is the largest part of the mature brain. It consists of two large masses, called cerebral hemispheres, which are almost mirror images of each other. They are connected by a deep bridge of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum and are separated by a layer called the falx cerebri. The cerebrum or cortex is associated with higher brain function such as thought and action. White matter is a component of the central nervous system, in the brain and superficial spinal cord, and consists mostly of glial cells and myelinated axons that transmit signals from one region of the cerebrum to another and between the cerebrum and lower brain centers. Gray matter is a major component of the central nervous system, consisting of neuronal cell bodies, neuropil (dendrites and myelinated as well as unmyelinated axons), glial cells (astroglia and oligodendrocytes) and capillaries. Grey matter is
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