HEALTH WELLBEING.

The Anatomy of the Nervous System. 

The nervous system serves as a part of the bodies communication systems. It is the body’s electrical communication system.

Housed in the cranium, the brain is its central organ.

It is surrounded by supportive fluids and connective tissues.

The brain is an organ that transforms sensory information into a coherent narrative that guides our beliefs, thoughts and behaviours.

It has specialised parts, interconnected groups of cells, that have evolved to meet specific needs. Such as the hippocampus that serves to intergrate memory or the hypothalamus which helps to integrate information received from the body.

It is continuous with the body via the spinal cord and the peripheral nervous system, including a specialised branch of this known as the autonomic nervous system.

The brain, spinal cord and nerve tissues develop in utero- a word that describes the development of an infant in the womb- at around 4 weeks after conception, arising from a collection of cells known as the neural tube.

The brain and the nervous system are a complex and dynamic interplay of cells that help us to shape our understanding of the world and guide our role in it, contributing in part to the formation of our mental health.

References and Further Reading.

Bryson T, Siegel D, 2012, The Whole Brain Child, Robinson, UK.

11. Sept. 2025

By H. Coutts.