central nervous system

Body's command center

The central nervous system is the brain and spinal cord together—the body's main processing center for sensory information and motor commands.

It coordinates thought, sensation, and movement, while the peripheral nervous system handles transmission to and from the rest of the body.

Often abbreviated CNS.

anatomy

brain

Seat of cognition

spinal cordBrain's extension through vertebrae
brainstemLower neural trunk
cerebrumBrain's largest division

cerebellum · medulla · pons · midbrain · thalamus · hypothalamus · meninges · dura mater · arachnoid · ventricles

signaling

neurotransmitter

Synaptic chemical messenger

synapseNerve signal crossing point
action potentialNeuron's rapid electrical discharge
impulseSudden urge to act

receptor · excitation · inhibition · dopamine · serotonin · acetylcholine · glutamate · GABA · neural pathway · afferent

neuroscience

neurology

Medical science of nerves

neurologistPhysician specializing in nervous system
neuroscienceStudy of nervous systems
neuroimagingVisualizing nervous system structure

electroencephalogram · MRI · neuroplasticity · neurogenesis · neuropsychology · neuroendocrine · lumbar puncture · brain mapping

disorders

stroke

Sudden brain blood blockage

epilepsyBrain disorder causing seizures
multiple sclerosisAutoimmune demyelinating neurological disease
Parkinson'sNeurodegenerative motor disorder

Alzheimer's · meningitis · encephalitis · demyelination · neurodegeneration · paralysis · quadriplegia · paraplegia · neuropathy · encephalopathy

function

cognition

Mental knowledge acquisition

consciousnessState of sentient awareness
perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
memoryMind's retention capacity

thought · learning · reasoning · awareness · sensory processing · motor control · reflexes · coordination · balance · homeostasis

Categories

body systems
nervous systembrain, neurons, spinal cord, axon, dendrite
neurologybrain, neuron, neurons, synapse, synapses
neuroscienceneuron, MRI, brain, neurons, synapses
Brain Medicinebrain disorders, dementia, schizophrenia, epilepsy, Alzheimer's
painache, pain, agony, hurt, hurting

Opposites

anatomical nervous system division

central nervous systemperipheral nervous system

Nerves outside brain, cord

PNS · autonomic nervous system · peripheral nerves · ganglia · cranial nerves

centralization of control

central nervous systemmesh network

Interconnected node communication system

body system control type

central nervous systemendocrine system

Hormone-producing gland network

Family

nervous, system, central, nerves, concentrate, nervy, concentration, nervously, systematic

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