13. Classification of nervous system - CNS

The human nervous system is a complex network of specialised cells to sense, understand, and act on our surroundings. The brain handles most executive functions, whereas the spinal cord serves primarily as an information highway connecting the brain to numerous cells throughout the body.

 

The nervous system is divided into three categories:

 

The human central nervous system (CNS) is a network of about \(100\) billion nerve cells that regulates our activities, senses our surroundings, and defines who we are. Neurons are the CNS's functional units, and they are unique in their ability to transmit and store information.

 

Invertebrates primarily comprise a solid ventral nerve cord with ganglia. Brain may be present in some invertebrates.

 

The brain and the spinal cord are the two main elements of the CNS of vertebrates. The brain is located in the cranium/skull, and the spinal cord is found in the vertebral column.

 

The presence or absence of myelin sheath determines the type of matter with which the CNS is formed. They are;

Yes, in organisms, the central nervous system is the body's information processing, control, and coordination unit. It acts as the body's control and coordinating centre, transmitting and receiving information to and from muscles, glands, organs, and other body systems via the peripheral nervous system.

 

Our thoughts, movements, emotions, and desires are all controlled by the central nervous system. It also regulates our respiration, heart rate, hormone secretion, and body temperature.

 

Neurons, glial cells, axons, membranes, the neural tube, and the ventricular system are important neuroanatomical features of the CNS. Neurons, synaptic transmission, and neurotransmitters are all important neurophysiological characteristics of the CNS.

We should understand certain terminologies and their meanings before learning about the human brain and its structure.