Central Nervous System Research Paper

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Pages: 4

The central nervous system is a complex of nerve tissue that controls the activities of the body. The entire system is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Each one the items that make up the nervous system controls your daily life. Without your brain you wouldn’t be able to breath, blink, or memorize anything. All nerves connect from your brain to your eyes, ears, nose, face and spinal cord. Brains are the center of the nervous system. Only a few invertebrates do not have a brain ,such as sponges, jellyfish, and starfish. The brain is located in the head usually close to the primary sensory organs for senses such as vision, hearing, balance, taste, and smell. Both animals and humans have a certain brain to body ratio but humans …show more content…
The brain is split into different parts. There is a distinct line down the middle of the brain which separates the two hemispheres of the brain. In between these hemispheres is the corpus callosum. The largest part of the brain is the cerebrum, this part is associated with thoughts and actions. This section is divided into 4 sections called “lobes”. The frontal lobe is most associated with reasoning, planning, and parts of speech. The next lobe is called the parietal and it's responsible for movement, orientation, and recognition. Another area is the occipital lobe and its used for visual processing. The last part is the temporal lobe and its specifically used for perception, recognition of audio, memory and speech. Underneath the cerebrum is the cerebellum or the “little brain” is similar to the cerebrum in the fact that it has two hemispheres and a cortex. Found within the cerebrum is the diencephalon and controls food intake, the body’s sleep cycle and sensory functions. Underneath the diencephalon is the brain stem which is vital for basic functions like breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure. In the center of the brain is the basal ganglia which is a cluster of structures which relays messages with other parts of the brain. Other parts of the brain are called the thalamus, hypothalamus, and hippocampus. The thalamus acts like a gatekeeper for messages passed between the spinal cord