Parts of the Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that controls muscles of internal organs (such as the heart, blood vessels, lungs, stomach, and intestines) and glands (such as salivary glands and sweat glands). One part of the autonomic... Full Answer

The peripheral nervous system is subdivided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is your environmental interface. It is the interface between the internal environment of your mind/brain and body... Full Answer

The sympathetic nervous system controls the body's stress-related functions like the "fight or flight" response, which allowed our caveman ancestors to battle or escape dangerous predators. (These days, we're more likely to rely on our... Full Answer

Problems arise when brain synapses lie dormant: The less you use certain connections, the greater chance they have of falling into disrepair (like losing fluency in a foreign language if you don't use it for a long time). Technically, we actually learn... Full Answer

The group of brain structures that help control body motions is called the basal ganglia. As the brain plans and coordinates movements, information-in the form of electrical brain activity-flows between the structures within the basal ganglia. Each... Full Answer

Glial cells, the most abundant cell types in the CNS, are supportive cells in the brain and spinal cord. There are three types of glial cells: astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia. This information is based on source information from the National... Full Answer

Long spinal nerves branch out into nerve roots that pass through openings between the bony arches in the rear part of the spine.  Watch to learn more about the spine and spinal cord. Full Answer

Hydromyelia refers to an abnormal widening of the central canal of the spinal cord that creates a cavity in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (commonly known as spinal fluid) can accumulate. As spinal fluid builds up, it may put abnormal pressure on the... Full Answer

Although a concept that is sometimes uncomfortable and foreign to traditional medical styles of thinking, the need for multiple interventions is required for effective treatment of an illness that affects a critical control center (such as the... Full Answer

Peak formation of nerve synapses occurs from 34 weeks of gestation till about two years of age.  DHA or docosahexaenoic acid is present in high concentrations in synapses.  Watch the animation to learn about brain development of babies. Full Answer