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Facts About Nervous System

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The Nervous system, a coordinated group of cells that are specialized in conducting electrochemical stimuli from sensory receptors through a network to the location where a reaction is taking place.


Parts of Nervous System

The nervous system is composed of the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system:

  • Central Nervous System - includes brain and the spinal cord

  • Peripheral Nervous System - includes nerves that go through the whole body.

The human brain is extremely compact and only weighs 3 pounds. However, it does have many folds and grooves. These offer it the additional surface area required to store important information about the body.

The spinal cord is a long bundle of about 18 inches long and 1/2-inch-thick nerve tissue. It travels through the spine from the lower part of the brain downwards. Nerves branch out towards the entire body along the way.

Both the brain and the spinal cord are protected by the bone: the brain is protected by the skull bones, and the spinal cord is protected by a set of rings - shaped bones called vertebras. Both are cushioned by membrane layers called meninges, and a special fluid called the cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid assists in preserving the nerve tissue, keeping it healthy, and eliminating waste products.

In this article, some of the human nervous system facts are discussed


10 Interesting Facts About the Nervous System

Fact - 1

There are over millions of nerve cells in our central nervous system, 100 billion neurons in the human brain and around 13,500,000 neurons in the spinal cord.


Fact - 2

Sciatic nerve is the longest and broadest single nerve in the human body. It starts or originates from the lower back of the spine and runs through the buttock and down to the lower limb till the toe. The sciatic nerve works by providing sensation to the skin of the foot 's sole, lower leg and upper surface.


Fact - 3

Vitamin-B, sodium, proteins, and other mineral ions, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium ions, are equally essential nutrients needed to keep our nervous system healthy and functioning properly.


Fact - 4

Nerve damage is usually permanent and can cause any nerves in the body to lose control. This is because the nerve cells do not undergo the cell division process, and thus they cannot expand or rebuild themselves.


Fact - 5

An optic nerve, also known as the cranial nerve, is the fundamental part of the central nervous system, and the human eye's most significant sensory nerve. The eye structure comprises mainly millions to billions of optic nerve fibers and is involved in the transmission of visual information from the eye to the brain.


Fact - 6

The nervous system is our body's primary control system as it is involved in all functions, from respiring, generating and receiving responses, controlling the muscles and sensing heat , cold and much more.


Fact - 7

Other systems can act as a damage to the nervous system. For the human body,  the nervous system is essential as it provides the ability to interact with the world.


Fact - 8

Alpha motor neurons are the speediest signal transmission in the human body. It is the biggest, multipolar lower brainstem and spinal cord motor neurons. Transmission of the signal occurs at 260 to 268 miles per hour.


Fact  - 9

The slowest signal transmission occurs inside the skin of the human body.


Fact  - 10

As we grow older the human nervous system begins to shrink. The human brain often shrinks with an individual's age, which each year shrinks by about 1 to 2 grams and is mainly caused by neuron loss.

Thus these are some of the nervous system facts.

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FAQs on Facts About Nervous System

1. Write 2 Facts About the Nervous System?

  • In humans, the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, while the left side controls the side of the brain controls the right side.

  • Neuron diameter can range from 4 to 100 microns.

2. Why is the Nervous System So Important?

The nervous system plays an important role in almost every aspect of our health and wellbeing. It guides daily activities such as awakening; automatic activities such as breathing; and complex emotional processes such as thinking, reading, recalling and feeling. Nervous system controls: Brain growth and development.

3. What is Nervous System and How it Works?

The nervous system acquires information through our senses, processes the information, and triggers reactions, such as making your muscles move, or causing pain.

4. What is the Nervous System in the Human Body?

The nervous system is a complex collection of nerves and specialized cells known as neurons which transmit signals between the various parts of the body. The somatic system consists of nerves that connect the muscles and sensory receptors in the skin to the brain and spinal cord.