Without an intact nervous system, humans would not be able to live and survive. With the nervous system, nature has given the human organism a tool to find its way in the environment. Furthermore, the nervous system is indispensable for coordinating and controlling all processes in the body.
What is the nervous system?
The nervous system comprises a complex of different components, which include the so-called nerve and glial cells and the control center, the brain. Since all functional elements are interrelated, a system of nerves is formed – the nervous system. The nervous system is composed of vegetative, central and peripheral parts. The individual parts that make up the nervous system are, in turn, based on various organs and organ complexes, which include the spinal cord, nerve fibers and nerve cells. Other anatomical differentiations are known as subsystems of the nervous system, which support its functioning.
Anatomy and structure
The nervous system has an extremely complicated structure based on components that are visible without tools and microscopic structures. In contrast to the Central Nervous System, the Peripheral Nervous System includes all the nerve pathways that run through the body and also serve to receive stimuli through the skin. Various subsystems, which are broken down in both nervous systems and are often known as the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, enteric and autonomic nervous systems, are based on the nervous tissue and the nerve cell (neuron) and glial cells. In the nervous system, the neurons represent a network structure within which the neurons function. Basically, the nervous system does not work independently of other organs. For example, it is subject to an influence of hormones.
Functions and tasks
Schematic diagram of the human nervous system showing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems Click to enlarge. The nervous system is the basis for a connection between humans and their environment. The nervous system or systema nervosum has a control function, which includes all vital processes in the organism. Stimuli from the environment are perceived through the nervous system. These are transmitted and processed by the nervous system. In addition, the nervous system protects against injuries. A significant part of the nervous system takes over unconscious reactions and processes, some of which are involuntary. The nervous system also influences the function of various organs (pulse rate, blood pressure, bronchial tubes, digestive system and others). The two sections in the nervous system, peripheral and central, are interconnected. The stimuli received from the environment through the eyes, ears, skin or tongue are transported via the nerve fibers and glial cells to the corresponding processing areas in the brain. Through the exchange of special chemical substances, the best known of which are the neurotransmitters, the conduction of stimuli from nerve cell to nerve cell takes place via the projections. The brain as a control center is structured in such a way that all incoming information is processed at a rapid pace and triggers a reaction via the nerves that lead away.
Diseases
All diseases which can occur on the nervous system are called neurological diseases. In the case of the nervous system, the health disorders affect the spinal cord and the brain, the nerves of the periphery and the muscles. Nervous diseases such as all kinds of headaches, multiple sclerosis, inflammation of the central nervous system, meningitis and encephalitis are typical diseases in the nervous system. The nervous system can also suffer from Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s dementia or lead to epilepsy. In addition, doctors treat a variety of diseases of the muscles, which originate from the nervous system. Within the scope of diseases of the nervous system, tumors of the brain and all diseases associated with a disturbance of motor function are significant. In a whole range of diseases related to the nervous system, various causes are present. Often, neurological disease in the brain occurs when the blood vessels are blocked by calciferous deposits or a blood clot. In this context, cerebral infarction or stroke is relevant.Many diseases that lead to extreme limitations in the health of the nervous system are based on inflammation or are a consequence of autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis). Diseases in the nervous system triggered by infection are, in addition to meningitis and encephalitis, myelitis, shingles, neuroborreliosis, and infections affecting the nerves and muscle tissue.
Typical and common diseases
- Nerve pain
- Nerve inflammation
- Polyneuropathy
- Epilepsy