Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Understand the structure and functions of the central nervous system

Understand the structure and functions of the central nervous system

The brain and the spinal cord constitute the central nervous system.
Created and produced by QA International. © QA International, 2010. All rights reserved. www.qa-international.com
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    Resist the urge to grab a cotton swab.
    Why Do We Have Earwax?
    Black-and-white photo of a man in a suit plugging his ears with his fingers. An orange polka dot pattern is behind his head.
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    Don't call her a “test-tube baby.”
    Media Editors: Michele Metych , Lauren Sims , Kira Helm
    Meet America's First IVF Baby
    Portrait of a white woman beside a close-up of an IVF embryo with a micropipette and an arrow; she holds a LIFE magazine cover titled 'Test-Tube Baby Boom'.
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    Injuries that break skin can be painfully memorable.
    How Do Scabs Form?
    Close-up of a person holding a child's hand with scabs on the fingers, gently cleaning the wounds with gauze.
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    The autonomic nervous system consists of two major divisions: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. Learn how these two systems differ in their functions as they help the body maintain homeostasis.
    How does the autonomic nervous system maintain homeostasis?
    How does the autonomic nervous system maintain homeostasis?
  • Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
    Discussion of biological clocks, including an overview of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which controls circadian rhythms.
    How biological clocks influence daily behavior
    How biological clocks influence daily behavior
  • Courtesy of Northwestern University (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
    Learn how researchers investigate the mechanism of “predictive coding,” by which the olfactory area of the brain is able to anticipate specific smells.
    How do researchers study the mechanism of predictive coding?
    How do researchers study the mechanism of predictive coding?
  • Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
    Learn about the Blue Brain Project, the primary goal of which is creating a virtual brain, 2009 video.
    Can we create a computer replica of the human brain?
    Can we create a computer replica of the human brain?
Related Articles: Central nervous system , gray matter , human nervous system , spinal cord , white matter

News •

CNS issues report on Jingdezhen ceramic expo, UNESCO heritage listing • Oct. 27, 2026, 7:45 PM ET (USA Today)

Transcript

NARRATOR: The nervous system is the main communication network in the body. It is guided by the central nervous system, which has more than 100 billion neurons. The central nervous system is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a long flexible tube that sits inside the bony channel formed by the spine. It consists of two types of matter: gray matter, formed by the cell bodies of neurons, and white matter, formed by extensions of the neurons.

There are 31 pairs of nerves attached to the spinal cord. The spinal cord also provides the link between the brain and the network of nerves that extend to the rest of the body.
Last Modification: