How Does the Nervous System Work

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The Nervous System Iesha N. Johnson Medical Assisting 1/ Dual Enrollment Mrs. Edwards February 5, 2013 The Nervous System What is the nervous system? How does it work? And why is it important? The nervous system is consisting of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and ganglia. It helps the body to transmit signals from the brain to the nerves to touch our hands, feet mouth, face, etc. The nervous system contains many nerve cells and electricity that our body creates itself. There are many functions of the nervous system and is divided into two systems. The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. There are generally three functions of the nervous system: sensory, integrative, and motor functions. Also there are diseases and disorders of the nervous system, some are life threaten and some aren’t. The Central Nervous System The central nervous system is made up of the brain and the spinal cord located in the dorsal body cavity. The brain is protected by the skull and is surrounded by the cranium. Meninges are connective tissue membranes that surrounds the CNS and along with it the cerebrospinal fluid. The Meninges has three different layers: dura mater (outer layer), arachnoid (middle layer), and pia mater (innermost layer). The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae. The spinal cord has thirty-one pairs of nerves and it is forty-three to forty-six centimeters (seventeen or eighteen inches) long. The brain is divided into four parts: Cerebrum, diencephalon, brain stem, and cerebellum. The cerebrum is the most largest and obvious portion. Longitudinal fissure divides the cerebrum into hemispheres. There are four lobes of the brain: frontal, parietal, occupational, and temporal lobes. Cerebral hemispheres consist of gray matter which is consists of neuron cell bodies and unmyelinated fibers. Also the cerebral hemisphere is consists of white

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