With approx 86 billion nerve cells in the brain alone, the nervous system is a vast and complex biological system.
But this system also plays an important role in managing and regulating the human body. And because your health and well-being can affect these systems, it’s important to know how to take care of them.
Keep reading to learn more about the human nervous system and how it works.
What is the Nervous System?
The nervous system is your body’s command center. It is made up of nerves that collect information from your senses and control your movements via commands from your brain.
There are two parts to the nervous system. The brain and spinal cord form the central nervous system. The peripheral nervous system consists of nerves, organs and muscles.
How the Nervous System Works
Your nervous system has two networks: your autonomic nervous system and your somatic nervous system. Your autonomic nervous system is responsible for your involuntary actions such as organ function and reflexes. Your somatic nervous system is responsible for planned functions such as voluntary movements.
There are two types of nerves in your body. The nerves that connect directly to your brain are the cranial nerves, while those that connect to your spinal cord are the spinal nerves. The vagus nerve is the cranial nerve and the longest in the body.
There are three type of neurons or nerve cells. There are sensory nerves that receive signals and send them to your brain, and there are motor nerves that receive signals from your brain and move your muscles. Interneurons carry messages between the two.
Maintaining the Health of the Nervous System
If you want your nervous system to be in optimal health, you need to take care of your mental and physical health. The best way to take care of your nervous system physically is to eat healthily, exercise and stay away from harmful substances.
Good mental health is also important for your nervous system to work efficiently. Many mental illnesses cause disturbances in brain chemistry. This can affect how well the neurons work because it slows down communication between neurons in the nervous system.
The vagus nerve is one of the most influential nerves in your nervous system. You can regulate your nervous system by treating your vagus nerve with stimulation. Learn more about this at vagus.net.
Damage to the Nervous System
Certain toxic substances and diseases can permanently damage your nervous system. To avoid permanent damage, you must watch out for risky behavior and illness.
As you get older, your nerves are slower to send signals. This can make you feel weaker or lose sensation in your fingertips and toes. This is also why your reflexes get slower as you get older.
Knowing the Human Nervous System
Knowing how the human nervous system works means you can take care of it. You can recognize when he needs support and how to keep him healthy.
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