Nervous system

The nervous system is a system that plays a role in all actions of the body, including the control of muscles and organs, as well as the processing of stimuli from the senses. In addition, the nervous system plays a major role in emotional and cognitive processes.

The nervous system consists of:

  • Central nervous system.
  • Peripheral nervous system.
  • Autonomic nervous system.

The entire nervous system is made up of so-called nerve cells (neurons). Nerve cells are responsible for information processing in the body.

Functioning of the nervous system

The nervous system is the control system of the body; it controls and regulates all processes in the human body. A distinction is made between conscious and unconscious actions, such as the functioning of breathing, digestion, and metabolism. The unconscious actions are regulated by the autonomic nervous system.

The nervous system is made up of billions of nerve cells that can conduct impulses to other body cells and exchange them with each other. The transmission of impulses between two nerve cells takes place by means of chemical transmitters. The impulses travel at a speed of 50–100 metres per second. This explains why we need a reaction time to, for example, quickly step on the brake to prevent an accident.

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