The Nervous System
The human nervous system is the control center of the body, monitoring conditions within and outside the body and sending out electrical signals to respond to them. Web sites explaining the system can be found in all levels of complexity, from child-friendly to extremely technical. No matter your level of scientific aptitude, we’ve found Web sites that explain how the brain and body transmit signals back and forth to interpret and respond to stimuli, control motion and regulate bodily functions.
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Expand All Guide SectionsNervous System Basics
The nervous system consists of a highly specialized network of cells called neurons that transmit electrochemical signals throughout the body; there are a hundred billion neurons in the brain alone. This section highlights the best places on the Web to learn about the human nervous system, from how the five senses work to technical aspects such as the mechanism by which action potential transmits sensory input to the brain.
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- Most of these sites contain impressive graphics. If you’re searching the subject purely out of curiosity, visiting various sites to view the illustrations can give you a fascinating introduction to the topic.
- The nervous system’s billions of sensors’ responses to stimuli are all interpreted in the brain. To find out more about how the brain works, visit the findingDulcinea Science of the Brain Web Guide.
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Human Anatomy Online enables you to navigate the nervous system by clicking on parts in a diagram to bring up a definition and, in some cases, zoom in repeatedly for more and more detail.
The University of Cincinnati Clermont College Biology Department provides a succinct yet comprehensive discussion of the nervous system that includes numerous detailed drawings. Additionally, keywords are highlighted and, when clicked on, bring up a window with the definition and derivation.
Michael J. Farabee, Ph.D. , a biology professor at Estrella Mountain Community College, provides a thorough examination of the nervous system with numerous detailed diagrams, charts and slides. Keywords and technical terminology are linked directly to a glossary.
The Nervous System for Kids
Whether you’re teaching a class about the systems of the body or simply looking to reassure your child before a tooth extraction, you’ll find all the information you’ll need on the Web sites recommended in this section.
Dulcinea's Insight
- If you touch a hot stove and burn your hand, the pain isn’t actually in your hand—it’s in your head. The sites below explain why.
- To some extent, the nervous system controls every other system in the body. So if you’re teaching kids about all the systems of the body, it would be a good idea to save the nervous system for last, allowing you to explain how it interacts with the other systems they’re already familiar with.
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Biology4Kids.com gives a kid-friendly overview of the nervous system. It touches on the major scientific terms but mixes the science with fun anecdotes. The site also offers a true/false quiz on the nervous system.
Hillendale Elementary School gives a brief discussion of the nervous system and its major parts. Also look for explanations of interesting nervous system phenomena (specifically, why we get chills and why we get fevers).
Discovery Kids presents “Your Gross and Cool Body: Nervous System.” The page gives an overview of how the nervous system works, using analogies and kid-friendly jargon to effectively convey some valuable scientific concepts.
Advanced Neuroscience Resources
Whether you’re a college biology student or medical student searching for information to help reinforce complex topics, a professor looking for supplemental lecture material or a researcher looking for PET scan images, you’ll find all this and more at the Web sites below.
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- Professors should note that, although many of the drawings shown on the sites in this section may look nontechnical, they can be very useful in helping students conceptualize complex topics.
Dulcinea's Picks
Biology Mad ’s “Introduction to the Human Nervous System” shows a table of all parts of the nervous system; click on one for an extensive and thorough explanation including detailed diagrams and slides.
Physical Factors Behind the Action Potential is a tutorial that discusses the basic chemistry and physics involved in generating and sustaining the action potential. It includes animated illustrations and a glossary to which technical terms are linked. The material on this site would be appropriate for advanced high school or introductory college biology courses.
Excitable cells discusses the biochemistry behind the transmission of electric current that transmits signals through neurons and that causes muscles to contract. It includes simple, informative illustrations, and all technical terms are linked to a glossary.
The Sumanas, Inc. Web site includes 14 highly technical tutorials pertaining to the nervous system, including electrical signaling in neurons, reflex arcs and synaptic transmission. Each tutorial is animated and has audio and text versions.
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