The Nervous System
The Structure & Function:
What is the function of the nervous system? The function of the nervous system is to control the other systems and make them function, that consists of involuntary movements - movements that we don't have to think about, such as making our heart beat, or the act of digestion. They connect to other systems through the spinal cord and neurons.
What are the names & functions of the major organs in the nervous system?
- The Brain: The cerebral cortex controls everything in your body, including the involuntary movements that are controlled by the unconscious part of the brain (cerebral cortex) which is located in the brain stem.
- Spinal Cord: The spinal cord connects nerves to the rest of our body so we can have the feeling of touch. The spinal cord also sends messages from the nerves to the brain and the other way around. For example, if you break your leg, then the spinal cord sends those messages to the brain to let the brain know that you broke your leg. However, if you break the spinal cord then the messages stop at the broken part of the spinal cord and do not travel any further. This means that you are paralyzed. If you are paralyzed from the waist down, then you cannot move your legs and if you hurt one of your legs, you won't know because the nerves are unable to send messages to the brain.
The structure & function of the spinal cord: The structure of the spinal cord is a long, cable-looking organ that stretches from the foramen magnum (the name of the hole in the skull) where it extends to the medulla (an internal region of an organ or tissue and is short for medulla oblongata) to the first or second lumbar vertebrae (in human anatomy, it is located between the rib cage and pelvis). The function of the spinal cord is to pass on messages from the brain to the rest of the body and from the rest of the body to the brain, almost like input and output (input would be like telling your legs to move, which would be sent from the brain, while output would be your legs actually moving).
Interactions With Other Systems:
Interactions with other systems: The nervous system interacts with all the other systems in the human body, through nerves & instructions from the nervous system. Here are a few:
- Skeletal System: The skeletal system provides calcium that is mandatory for the proper functioning of the nervous system. There are also receptors in the joints that connect the bones together that send signals to the brain about the body's position. The skull also protects the brain from internal damage and bleeding.
- Circulatory (Cardiovascular) System: The nervous system controls the circulatory system. In fact, the heart functions solely because of the nervous system. Fluids are circulated because of the nervous system & sends blood to the brain, which, like calcium, is mandatory for the brain - the brain cells will die without blood flow. Receptors send information to the brain about blood pressure.
- Muscular System: The brain controls the contraction of the skeletal muscle & provides the brain with the position of the body & movement. The visceral muscle helps the organs with contraction, which is controlled by the nervous system.
- Digestive System: The nervous system regulates the speed at how fast food travels through the digestive system. The digestive system also allows the nervous system to function properly while the nervous system does the same. And when the digestive system isn't functioning properly, the nervous system reacts in a way that supports the digestive system.
- Endocrine System: The endocrine system has a literal connection to the nervous system: a certain part of the brain called the hypothalamus that connects the two systems together. There is also a gland in the hypothalamus that produces hormones, which is one of the many functions that the endocrine system carries out. They are also connected through their functions: they work hand-in-hand & and respond to differences inside & outside of the body.
- Integumentary (Exocrine) System: The receptors in the skin (the integumentary system is comprised of skin & hair) send sensory messages to the brain. In fact, there are nerves in the skin that control the follicles of our hair.
The Nervous System Analogy:
REDESIGN: How Can I Make This System Better?
How can you make this system better? I would make this system better by not allowing the brain to control everything - sometimes people get shot in the head and then die because bullet hits the brain in a certain area that kills them instantly - if the brain controlled somethings and other parts of the body controlled different things then it wouldn't be so bad if we got shot in the head. So I would relocate certain functions to different parts of the body. For example, the endocrine system would mainly be in charge of what the frontal lobe does, without the nervous system controlling the endocrine system.
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