The Nervous System | Merck Manual Consumer Version

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The nervous system is your body's information processing and communication system. It receives messages, processes information, and then sends signals to the rest of your body telling it what to do.
The nervous system is made up of the:
-Brain
-Spinal cord
-Nerves
The nervous system is involved in everything you think, say, and do.
Your brain is like the central processing unit (CPU) in a computer. The brain receives information from your eyes, ears, nose, and other sense organs. It processes information and generates thoughts and ideas. Then the brain sends messages to your body. For example, it tells your muscles how to move so you can walk, talk, and do the things you want your body to do. Your brain also controls a lot of what your body does without you thinking about it. For example, your brain automatically adjusts your breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Your spinal cord is a long tube of nerves like a thick electrical cable.
The spinal cord runs from your brain down your back through the hollow center of your spine. Nerves in the brain send messages down your spinal cord. Other nerves in your spinal cord then relay those messages to your body. The spinal cord also carries messages from the body to your brain.
Your nerves are like signal wires. Each nerve contains fibers from many nerve cells. The fibers are bundled together for strength and protection from injury.
The central nervous system is the brain and spinal cord. The nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are called the peripheral nervous system.
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