Most people generally have an idea of what the nervous system does, and why it is important. But there are a lot of interesting facts about the nervous system you probably haven’t heard of!
Read on to learn more about what makes the nervous system special, as well as what problems can affect it.
Interesting Facts About the Nervous System
Our nervous system consists of our brain, spinal cord, as well as all of the nerves throughout our body. The nervous system lets us interact with the world around us through our senses, and it also handles more complex things such as our thoughts, memories, and most of our bodily functions.
The nervous system is generally composed of 2 types of cells.
- First are the neurons or the brain cells which can communicate with other neurons in order to send information to and from different parts of our body.
- The second type of cells is glial cells. These are any non-neuron cell that is also a part of our nervous system. Glial cells support the neurons, and also help maintain the healthy function of our nervous system.
It is estimated that for every neuron, there is also a glial cell present in the body. However, the proportions of neurons and glial cells can vary in different parts of the body.
Our nervous system is composed of two parts, which are the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
Here is a breakdown of what each type of nervous system does:
Central Nervous System
The central nervous system includes all of the nerves found in the brain and in the spinal cord. It is known as the central nervous system because not only does it contain the majority of the nervous system, it also takes in all of the information from the entire body and processes it.
This means that the central nervous system is responsible for our thoughts, our sensory perception, as well as how we move and interact with the world around us. The central nervous system does this through the use of electrical signals that move throughout the nerves of our body.
Being such an important system of the body also means that problems affecting the central nervous system need to be taken seriously.
Here are a few of the conditions that can affect our central nervous system:
- Parkinson disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Alzheimer disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Spinal cord or brain injuries
- Stroke
- Nerve degeneration
- Autism
- Mental health problems
- Addiction
This is why it is important to take extra care of our central nervous system, because it performs a lot of tasks that are necessary for our day-to-day life.
Peripheral Nervous System
The peripheral nervous system includes nerves that are outside of the brain and spinal cord. This means that the nerves found in our arms, legs, feet, etc. are all parts of the peripheral nervous system.
While the peripheral nervous system plays more of a “supporting’ role to the central nervous system, it still plays a very important role. The peripheral nervous system essentially connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body.
Whenever we talk, our peripheral nervous system works in conjunction with our brain to interpret these signals, and respond appropriately. The same thing happens when we walk, run, exercise, and do most of the things that we do.
Since the peripheral nervous system allows our brain to communicate with our other organs, this means that problems affecting the peripheral nervous system should also be taken seriously.
Some of these conditions are:
- Diabetes
- Hypothyroidism
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lupus
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cancer
- Trauma or injury
It’s always a good idea to be mindful of the symptoms of these diseases, as they can cause problems when left untreated.
Key Takeaways
Our nervous system is one of the most important systems of the body. Learning about our nervous system can help us better understand how to take care of it to ensure that we remain healthy, and maintain a high quality of life.
Learn more about the Brain & Nervous System here.
