Tag: neurology
- The Central Nervous System (CNS) ()
The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord, which are located in the dorsal body cavity. The brain is surrounded by the cranium, and the spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae. The brain is continuous with the spinal cord at the foramen magnum. In addition to bone, the CNS is surrounded by connective […]
- The Autonomic Nervous System ()
The brain has better things to do than worry about contracting the smooth muscle of the large intestine just in time for that 9 am bowel movement. The brain has better things to do than worry about how fast the metabolism is working. The brain has better things to do than worry about exactly what […]
- The Structure of the Nervous System ()
Although terminology seems to indicate otherwise, there is really only one nervous system in the body. Although each subdivision of the system is also called a “nervous system,” all of these smaller systems belong to the single, highly integrated nervous system. Each subdivision has structural and functional characteristics that distinguish it from the others. The […]
- Nerve Tissue ()
Although the nervous system is very complex, there are only two main types of cells in nerve tissue. The actual nerve cell is the neuron. It is the “conducting” cell that transmits impulses and the structural unit of the nervous system. The other type of cell is neuroglia, or glial, cell. The word “neuroglia” means […]
- The Life & Death of a Neuron ()
Until recently, most neuroscientists thought we were born with all the neurons we were ever going to have. As children we might produce some new neurons to help build the pathways – called neural circuits – that act as information highways between different areas of the brain. But scientists believed that once a neural circuit […]