Nerves

Nerves have an important function in the body. A nerve gives all signals in the body from all parts of the body to the brains and back.

Nerves exist of two types of nerve-fibres: fast and slow fibres. Through a nerve-fibre signals are passed on to the cell membrane.

Nerves are part of the nervous system and exist of neurons.These cells work by passing on electrical signals from one part of the cell to the other part of the cell, and also by relasing chemical materials, which are also called neurotransmitters. The neuros exist of 4 parts: the cell body, the axon, the dendrites and the axon-ends.

In the cell body is a neuron, which has important information like DNA. The dendrites have to receive signals from other cells. The axon itself is the transmitter of these signals to the ends of the axon. The ends of the axon also have dendrites to other neuros or to organs.

Neurons can pass on signals very fast but also very slowly. The speed can vary from signals that are passed on at 6 km/h to signals that are passed on at 320 km/h. Not every neuron connects another neuron, often there is a small space in between which we call de synaps.

When the signal is sent from one neuron to the end of the axon, it will release the neurotransmitters (chemical materials) at the same time, which has to “tell” this to the other neuro which has to pass it on, etc.

Well-known neurotransmitters are Acetylcholine, Dopamine and Serotine. The nervous system exists of the central nervous system and the peripherical nervous system.

In the nervous system we find the brains (big and small), the spinal cord and the brain stem. In the perpherical nervous system we find all nerves which are between the central nervous system and the organs and the muscles.

This nervous system can also be divided into two parts: the somatic and the autonomic nervous system, at which the somatic activates the muscles and the autonomic the heart muscles, blood vessles and the glands.