The Human Nervous System by Cassie M. Lawton

Author:Cassie M. Lawton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC
Published: 2020-07-03T00:00:00+00:00

The pituitary gland (yellow above and enlarged below) is attached to the hypothalamus. It helps your body grow.

Your hypothalamus is near the pituitary gland. It produces hormones that control many things, such as body temperature, mood, thirst, hunger, and even the release of hormones from other glands.

Neurons may be small, but they have big responsibilities inside the human body.

Chapter Three

HOW IT ALL WORKS

The nervous system works as a unit inside the body. Its main operators are the brain and spinal cord, but other elements play crucial roles too.

Navigating Neurons

Nerve cells, called neurons, are big heroes within this system. Neurons are shaped like flat, stretched stars. Many are less than 0.04 inches (1 millimeter) long, but some can be more than 3 feet (0.9 meters) long.

When you see, smell, taste, and feel sticky strawberry jam, your sensory neurons send that information to your brain right away. Motor neurons from the brain carry information telling your body to swallow the jam, clean it off your fingers or face, and maybe even reach for more jam.

Neurons have four main parts: the cell body, axon, axon terminals, and dendrites. The cell body is much like the cells in other parts of your body. The axon is a long, thread-like part that carries electrical messages, or impulses. The branched ends of axons, called axon terminals, send information to other neurons. Dendrites are branch-like parts that reach out toward other neurons to receive information.

Fast Fact

Your brain contains about 86 billion neurons, and they’re so small you need a microscope to see them.

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