Nervous System Overview Quiz

Nervous System Overview

• Composed of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
• Two main divisions:
  • Central Nervous System (CNS): Brain and spinal cord.
  • Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Nerves connecting the CNS to the rest of the body.

Brain

• Control center of the body.
• Regulates: thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger, and other bodily processes.
• Complex organ.

Spinal Cord

• Cylindrical structure running through the spine, from brainstem to lower back.
• Major communication pathway between brain and body.

Nerves

• Bundles of fibers connecting brain and spinal cord to body parts.
• Different types:
  • Sensory nerves: Carry signals from body to brain.
  • Motor nerves: Carry signals from brain to muscles.
  • Mixed nerves: Carry both sensory and motor signals.

Nervous System Diseases

• Alzheimer's disease: Progressive brain disorder affecting memory, thinking, and basic tasks.
• Parkinson's disease: Movement disorder worsening over time, affecting nervous system control of movement.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Immune system attacks brain and spinal cord, causing diverse symptoms like vision problems, movement difficulties, and cognitive changes.
• Epilepsy: Characterized by recurrent seizures, abnormal electrical activity in neurons.
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Progressive disorder damaging nerve cells in brain and spinal cord (Lou Gehrig's disease).