Medicine & Health
What is The nervous system?
The nervous system is the body's communication network — the brain, spinal cord, and nerves — that senses the world, processes information, and controls everything you think, feel, and do, using fast electrical and chemical signals.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains the nervous system.
Key things to understand
- 1The central nervous system (brain + spinal cord) processes information and decides.
- 2The peripheral nerves carry signals to and from the rest of the body.
- 3Neurons pass messages using electrical impulses and chemical messengers.
- 4It controls both voluntary actions (moving) and automatic ones (heartbeat, breathing).
Frequently asked questions
- What does the nervous system do?
- It senses inputs, processes them in the brain and spinal cord, and sends commands that control movement, thought, and body functions.
- What is a neuron?
- A nerve cell that transmits information via electrical impulses and chemical signals to other cells.
- What's the difference between the central and peripheral nervous systems?
- The central is the brain and spinal cord; the peripheral is the network of nerves connecting them to the body.