Nervous System Facts for Kids

A Picture of the Human Nervous System
  • System Name: The nervous system
  • System Purpose: Send signals from one part of the body to another
  • System Location: Throughout the human body
  • System Organs: Brain, spinal cord and many different nerves
  • System TA ID: A14.0.00.000
  • System FMA ID: 7157

20 Nervous System Facts for Kids

  1. The human nervous system is a complex system of nerves and neurons connected throughout the human body.
  2. The nerves and neurons work together to send signals to and from different parts of the human body.
  3. These signals are used to act or react to a conscious thought or sensory input.
  4. The human nervous system main components are the brain, spinal cord and nerves.
  5. There are different parts of the human nervous system, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
  6. The brain and the spinal cord are the primary organs of the central nervous system.
  7. The nerves and ganglia are the primary components of the peripheral nervous system.
  8. The two types of cells in the human nervous system are neurons and glial cells.
  9. The main task of neuron cells is to communicate with other via synapses.
  10. Synapses is the communication using both electrical and chemical signals via membrane junctions.
  11. The main task of glial cells is to deliver nutrition to the nervous system, help maintain homeostatic, create myelin and help with the transmission of signals.
  12. There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves in the human nervous system.
  13. The cranial nerves are connected directly to the brain.
  14. There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves in the human body.
  15. The 31 pairs of spinal nerves are divided into five different groups.
  16. Of the 31 pairs of spinal nerves, twelve are thoracic nerves, eight are cervical nerves, five are lumbar nerves, five are sacral nerves and one is coccygeal nerves.
  17. There are estimates that claim there are around 90,000 miles of sensory pathways in the human body.
  18. Nervous system diseases, disorders and malfunctions can be caused by a wide variety of things. Trauma, genetic defects, infections and aging are some of the things that can cause failures.
  19. The study of diseases and disorders of the human nervous system is called neurology.
  20. Someone who investigates, diagnoses and treats diseases and disorders of the nervous system is called a neurologist.

Additional Resources on the Human Nervous System

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