Edit page | Page history | Printable version

Central nervous system

(Science: anatomy, neurology) Pertaining to the brain, cranial nerves and spinal cord. It does not include muscles or peripheral nerves.

in invertebrates, the central nervous system is composed of the segmental ganglia of the ventral nerve cord together with the fused ganglia or brain at the anterior end.

Acronym: cNS The portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.The nervous system consists of many neural pathways known as nerves, which all are connected to the central nervous system, the 'centre' of its function. Impulses from the brain travel down the spinal cord to their relevant location to execute a command from the brain, while impulses travel back up towards the brain (afferent neurones) informing it of the body's current situation and actions. The brain also acts as a memory storage device for the organism.