Identify the components of the central nervous system

The vertebrate central nervous system contains the brain and the spinal cord, which are covered and protected by three meninges. The brain contains structurally and functionally defined regions. While functions may be primarily localized to one structure in the brain, most complex functions, like language and sleep, involve neurons in multiple brain regions. The spinal cord is the information superhighway that connects the brain with the rest of the body through its connections with peripheral nerves. It transmits sensory and motor input and also controls motor reflexes.

What You’ll Learn to Do

• Differentiate between the nervous systems of different animals
• Identify the components of the central nervous system
• Identify locations and basic function of the different parts of the brain
• Identify locations and basic function of the different parts of the spinal cord

Learning Activities

The learning activities for this section include the following:

• Components of the Central Nervous System
• Brain
• Spinal Cord
• Self Check: The Central Nervous System