The Nervous System

         Did you know you can use your nervous system without even trying? The nervous system is a network of cells, called nerve cells or Neurons, these cells are connected to the organs all over your body. These cells are a part of a connection that sends signals to your spinal cord and brain (The organs that are actively a part of  the nervous system). The connection is routed through out your body. The signals that are sent can be something like noticing the change of temperature around you, or touching something. So the simplest things can trigger a signal that is sent to your brain! 

These signals are sent to your spinal cord, so they can be sent to your brain. The brain processes the signal and puts it into a thoughts or actions. Your brain creates actions by sending a signal to the spinal cord to move limbs and muscles. Or it tells you to complete an action, such as to put on a sweatshirt because it’s cold outside. It even tells a part of the body to move because it’s pinching a nerve or to get up and move around to get the blood pumping. But sometimes your spinal cord can react first without your brain. Like when you are cooking and you accidentally put your hand on the stove when it’s turned on. Your spinal cord reacts in what’s called a reflex. Since the nerves sent a pain signal from your hand, the spinal cord tells your muscles to pull the hand away. Then the brain process the pain and creates a way to heal it. Another reflex if the flight or fight reflex. When in a stressful or dangerous situation, your nervous system is triggered. Than an automatic physiological reaction is triggered. You either stand your ground and fight or you flee the situation as fast as you can. The spinal cord also controls this reflex.

The nervous system’s role is to give signals to your brain. The brain tells the body what to do. Our brains get information from the nervous system. Like if your body is cold or hot, or if your body is hurt. Then brain and nerves, react to the situation. Like if you’re cold, the nerve cells tell your brain and then it tells you to put a sweatshirt on. Also if you have a bruise when you touch it, it hurts your nerves gives  the brain signals to not touch it, because it hurts. Also if your foot has fallen asleep to get up and walk around. The brain tells the nerves what to do with the information from the nerve’s signals.

Did you know when babies learn to walk, their muscles are making muscle memory. Making muscle memory triggers your nervous system. The brain says I want to get up, so the muscles in the legs start moving, because the brain knows the moving the muscles make you move (from crawling). Using muscles in the baby’s leg trigger the nerves to say the muscles are being used. The brain analyzes the signal of the less pressure on the body (because the baby was probably sitting or was crawling.) and the leg muscles moving. Also the realization that the spinal cord is needing to be used to walk like it is used to crawl;  along with the fact that moving the muscles and spinal cord will make the baby walk. So when the baby want to stand or walk to get something your brain knows that it needs to trigger the leg muscles to move through the spinal cord. This was an example of the Nervous system learning. You also learn and create memories through your nervous system about things that feel good or things that do not. 

Without your nervous system your body can’t move. Your brain is what controls your body and the nervous system is how it gets the information to run the body. Your nervous system is what gives you motor skills. (Motor skills are things like walking and being able to write with a pencil) The feeling of touch also comes from your nervous system. So when you touch something textured, your nerves know because where you are touching it all the nerves in  that area give the signal to the brain the your brain determines if it’s a textured surface or a smooth surface by the signals. If the surface was smooth the signals would all be the same and the signals would all be different or very little are the same for textured.

Bibliography:

Lentz, T. L., & Erulkar, S. D. (2019). nervous system | Definition, Function, Structure, & Facts. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/nervous-system

Kim Ann Zimmermann. (2018, February 14). Nervous System: Facts, Function & Diseases. Live Science; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/22665-nervous-system.html

Newsela | Introduction to the nervous system. (2020, June 2). Newsela.com. https://newsela.com/read/lib-nervous-system/id/2001008223/

Images:

Nerve cell : Pixabay.com

Nervous system: Free stock photos.blix