What is the
Function of
the Nervous System
The
function of the nervous system is essential to keep the human body
healthy. The human body is composed of several systems that are needed
in order to live. All of them have several important functions
and
living without them would be impossible. Respiratory, digestive,
endocrine, muscular,
skeletal, cardiovascular and nervous are just some of the systems that
are part of your body.
The nervous
system can easily be the most complex of all systems. It controls the
whole body and is responsible for all automatic functions of the body.
The system is very delicate and can be affected by many health problems
like multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and strokes.
Early symptoms of multiple sclerosis
In
order to understand the function of the nervous system is necessary to
know its composition. The nervous system is composed of special cells
known as neurons. These neurons consist of a cell body and the nerves
processes. The body of a neuron is quite similar to the ones of other
cells. The processes are projections that extend from the cell.
These projections are the ones that carry and transmit signals. There
are billions of neurons in the body and they are very well organized.
The
nervous system is composed of several parts: the central nervous system
consists of the brain and the spinal cord and the peripheral system
consisting of nerve tissue spread through several parts of the body.
The
brain uses the neurons to communicate with the whole body. Any
information perceived by the senses goes immediately to the brain. The
brain interprets the data received and sends any necessary message to
the body. The spinal cord is similar to a bridge. The messages sent by
the brain travel through the spinal cord and are able to reach many
parts of the body like the arms and legs.
The peripheral
system can also be divided into the autonomic and somatic system. The
autonomic system controls all the processes that do not require actual
thinking. Breathing, digestion, pulse, blood pressure and regulation of
temperature are some examples of the processes controlled by this
system. This system can be subdivided into other divisions: the
sympathetic and parasympathetic.
The sympathetic division
triggers when physical activity increases. There is an increment in
heart rate and respiration which is a function of the nervous system.
The parasympathetic division does the complete opposite of the
sympathetic. The lack of physical activity will lead to a decrease in
the heart rate and the respiration. These impulses slow down as the
body rests.
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