The nervous system: structure and function

In short: The nervous system controls perception, movement, and internal processes through electrical and chemical signals. It is divided into the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system.

In more detail: Nerve cells, called neurons, transmit electrical impulses and communicate via chemical messengers at synapses.

In detail

• Central nervous system: The brain and spinal cord process information and coordinate the entire body.
• Peripheral nervous system: Connects the central nervous system to muscles, skin, and organs throughout the body.
• Autonomic nervous system: Controls unconscious processes such as heartbeat, digestion, and breathing via the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
• Reflexes: Some reactions occur via the spinal cord without conscious thought in the brain being necessary.
• Neurotransmitters: Messengers such as dopamine and serotonin influence mood, movement, and many other functions.
• Myelin sheath: A fatty layer around many nerve fibres significantly speeds up signal transmission.
• Diseases: Multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases show how susceptible to disruption this complex system is (gehirn-aufbau-und-neuroplastizitaet, sinnesorgane-auge-ohr-nase).