Neurons and Information Processing

Your nervous system is in charge of the movement and storage of all the information in your body. Your brain sends and receives messages about what is happening in and around your body through the central nervous system. The brain is made of millions of neuron cells; these are the smallest part of the nervous system where the information is stored and moved from one neuron to another.

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​The nervous system controls all

Multiple Choice

What is the primary function of the nervous system?

• To circulate blood throughout the body

• To move and store information

• To provide nutrients to cells

Multiple Choice

What are neurons?

• The largest part of the nervous system

• Cells that transport oxygen

• The smallest part of the nervous system where information is stored

The nervous system is divided in two main parts: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.

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The central nervous system is made up of your spinal cord and your brain and carries messages between your brain and the rest of your body.

​Your spinal cord is a network of nerve cells connected to one another from the brain to the lower back. It is between 43 and 45 cm long and is covered by a bone tissue called backbone.

Multiple Choice

What are the two main parts of the nervous system?

• Central nervous system and respiratory system

• Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system

• Peripheral nervous system and digestive system

Multiple Choice

What is the spinal cord covered by?

• Muscle tissue

• Skin

• Bone tissue called backbone

Your brain is the director of your body which controls everything you do, even when you are asleep. The brain sends and receives information through neurons. Neurons are cells specialized in transmitting messages through the nervous system to and from the brain; they also store the information. Your brain has three main parts:

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The cerebrum is the biggest and heaviest part of your brain. It is divided into several parts that are responsible for different functions. Some parts receive and process information about sight, touch, hearing, smelling and taste; other areas control movement, speech, learning, intelligence, personality and your memory.

The cerebellum is a lot smaller and lighter than the cerebrum. However, it is a very important part of your brain because it controls and coordinates the movements of your muscles to give you balance. Thanks to your cerebellum, you can stand straight, walk and play sports.

The brain stem is small but mighty. If the brain is the director of your body, the brain stem is the brain’s personal assistant. It controls your heart beating and your lungs breathing without you having to tell them to do so. Without your brain stem, you could not survive.

Multiple Choice

What does the cerebrum control?

• Digestion and respiration

• Movement, speech, and memory

• Circulation and excretion

Multiple Choice

What is the main function of the cerebellum?

• Control digestion

• Coordinate muscle movements for balance

• Process visual information

Multiple Choice

What does the brain stem control?

• Voluntary muscle movements

• Heartbeat and breathing

• Digestive processes

The peripheral nervous system carries messages between the central nervous system and the rest of your body. It sends information to the brain and carries out orders from the brain. It is divided into two main parts: the somatic system and the autonomic system.

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Communication is all over your body

The Somatic System

How can you be connected to the world around you? This is possible thanks to your sense organs! The somatic system sends all the information collected by your sense organs to the central nervous system.

The Autonomic System

Imagine you had to keep telling your body to breathe in and out, even while you were sleeping. How hard would that be? The autonomic system directs all the involuntary activities like breathing, digesting food and pumping blood to your heart; it continues to work without you having to think about the actions. This system is in charge of sending those orders continuously to your body.

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Information Flow

Your nervous system is made up of thousands and thousands of neurons. Each neuron is made up of dendrites, a cell body, an axon, a nucleus and a synaptic terminal. The dendrites bring information to the cell body and the axon takes the information away from the cell body to the synaptic terminal. The synaptic terminal is at one end of the neuron and it is made up of many tiny branches that connect the neuron to many other neurons. It is also made up of many tiny sacs that hold the neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitter is a type of chemical substances; its job is to transmit messages from one neuron to the other. Each neuron has its own neurotransmitter.

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Multiple Choice

What does the peripheral nervous system do?

• It controls voluntary movements only

• It stores information

• It carries messages between the central nervous system and the rest of the body

Multiple Choice

What is the function of the somatic system?

• To send information from sense organs to the central nervous system

• To control involuntary actions like breathing

• To regulate heart rate

Multiple Choice

Which system is responsible for involuntary activities?

• Somatic system

• Autonomic system

• Peripheral nervous system

Multiple Choice

What is the role of dendrites in a neuron?

• They transmit messages from one neuron to another

• They bring information to the cell body

• They hold neurotransmitters

Multiple Choice

What are neurotransmitters?

• Chemical substances that transmit messages between neurons

• Electrical signals in the brain

• Parts of the spinal cord