Importance of the Central Nervous System

¶ … Nervous System

The central nervous system is one of the two parts of the nervous system, which also comprises the peripheral nervous system. These two systems have different roles, functions, and location in the body, which contributes to their significant differences. The central nervous system incorporates brain nerves and spinal cord whereas all the other nerves in the human body are part of the peripheral nervous system. Since it contains brain nerves and spinal cord, the central nervous system is safely guarded in the spine's vertebral canal and the skull. Consequently, the central nervous system is one of the most important parts of the human body that is crucial to the normal functioning of an individual. Actually, the central nervous system controls most of the functions in a person's body and mind since it's made of the brain and the spinal cord ("What is the Central Nervous System?" par, 1).

The human brain, which is one of the parts of the central nervous system, is center of thoughts and determines how an individual interprets the external environment as well as controlling body movement. Similar to the central processing unit of the computer, the brain interprets information from the external environment through ears, eyes, skin, tongue, and nose. In addition to the five senses, the brain interprets information from internal organs like the stomach. This implies that the human brain plays a key role in most of the body functions since they involve brain structures and pathways.

On the contrary, the spinal cord acts as the pathway or highway for communication between the brain and the human body. In case of damages to this part, the exchange of information or communication between the brain and body is disrupted. Moreover, damages to the spinal cord also affect exchange of information between the brain and other parts of the human body.

Unlike other organs or systems in the body, the central nervous system performs several functions and activities simultaneously. The major function of work of the central nervous system is to control voluntary and involuntary movements. Voluntary movements include speech and walking whereas involuntary movements include breathing and blinking. Moreover, the central nervous system is the basis of people's thoughts, emotions, and perceptions.

With regards to voluntary movements, neurons in the motor cortex transmit their axons via the corticospinal tract to link with the spinal cord motor neurons. Motor neurons in the spinal cord project out of the cord to the appropriate muscles through the ventral root. These various connections involving neurons in the motor cortex control conscious or voluntary movements. On the other hand, information is also exchanged in the opposite direction, which contributes to involuntary or unconscious movement. In this case, sensory neurons offer feedback to the brain through the dorsal root. Some of this feedback is in turn transmitted directly to the lower motor neurons before it gets to the brain. While this process contributes to reflex or involuntary movements, the remaining information is conveyed back to the cortex.