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The Nervous System & Your Body

The nervous system is composed of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The central nervous system (CNS) represents the largest part of the nervous system, and includes the brain, which receives and processes information, and the spinal cord, which is the main nerve trunk to and from the brain.

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of the nerves that reside or extend outside of the central nervous system to serve the limbs and organs. Unlike the central nervous system, however, the PNS is not protected by bone or the blood-brain barrier, leaving it exposed to toxins and mechanical injuries (eg. subluxations). The peripheral nervous system is further divided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.

The somatic nervous system is that part of the peripheral nervous system associated with the voluntary control of body movements through the action of skeletal muscles, and also reception of external stimuli. The somatic nervous system consists of afferent fibers that receive sensory information from external sources, and efferent fibers that are responsible for muscle contraction. These afferent and efferent fibers are housed within the 61 spinal nerves that exit from the spinal cord.

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) (or visceral nervous system) is the part of the nervous system that controls homeostasis or the constancy of the internal organs. It does so mostly by controlling cardiovascular, digestive and respiratory functions. Many of the activities of the ANS are involuntary.