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Discovering Your Nervous System
Anatomy: the components of the nervous system
Like a powerful computer, the body is constantly digesting a lot of data and using it to make decisions. The comparison ends there, however, because instead of a circuit board and microchips, you have nerves and a brain. The body's functions are controlled by the entire nervous system, depending on the messages it receives.
The central nervous system can be thought of as a biological command center: it integrates information from your environment and tells your body how to react. In addition to performing all of these tasks, the nervous system allows you to concentrate on your daily activities. So you don't have to consciously worry about reacting adequately to all the stimuli that cross your path. So much the better, because the exercise would be exhausting.
To preserve your mental energy, your nervous system must be able to perform both voluntary and involuntary actions. Without it, you would not be able to control your arms and legs, maintain a steady heart rate, or breathe.
Here are other examples of involuntary actions that depend on the nervous system:
- vision
- the blink of the eyes
- the sneeze
- the fight-or-flight response
- the withdrawal reflex (removing your hand from a hot oven)
The nervous system also helps:
- walking, talking, clapping, brushing your hair, exercising ...
Your nervous system has a huge reach: nervous tissue spreads to all parts of the body. It can get information from the hands and feet, or the joints and gut.
Now is the time to tune in to your nervous system to find out what it does for you and learn more about the different components and mechanisms that make it work.
Anatomy: the components of the nervous system
Basically, the nervous system is made up of specialized cells - neurons - and support cells - glial cells. A neuron can conduct electricity and secrete chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Each nerve cell receives information from internal or external stimuli and transmits it. Glial cells surround neurons to support and protect them.
Like all other cells, neurons have a cell body - also called the soma - which is surrounded by dendrites, that is, branches that extend from it and receive nerve stimulation from it. neighboring cells.
Protruding from the cell body, the axon is a long projection that carries electrochemicals and is enveloped in fatty tissue, the myelin sheath. The latter isolates the axon and speeds up the transmission of signals. The myelin sheath acts as the material that insulates the wires of electronic devices.
The end of the neuron is at the axon terminus - the part of the nerve cell where the generated signals are sent to the next nerve cell. Nerve impulses are transmitted from the axon terminus of one neuron to the dendrites of the next. The space where nerve cells meet to exchange information is called a synapse.
Neurons line up between their dendrites and axons to form a thick cord. This assembly of neurons makes up what is called a nerve. These receive signals from internal organs and the external environment and then send them to the brain.
There are thousands of nerves of different sizes in the body. The sciatic nerve that starts from the spinal cord at the bottom of the spine and extends to the foot is the longest, while the trochlear nerve - responsible for the rotational movement of the eye - is one of the longest. small. Our Interactive Biofeedback Devices send a biocompatible electrical signal to interact with nerves and the nervous system!
Now that you know about neurons and nerves, let's move on to the larger organs of the nervous system, namely the spinal cord and the brain.
The spinal cord is basically a large, thick nerve connected directly to the brain. The bones of the spine provide it with structure and protection, allowing messages to travel uninterruptedly between the brain and the rest of the nervous system, along the spinal cord.
If we compare the nervous system to a computer, the brain is its hard drive. It receives, through the spinal cord, all the messages picked up by the nerves, then it interprets them and triggers a response.
When you command your body to take action, the neurons go to work first. They send electrochemicals to the brain through the nerves and the spinal cord. Your brain then sends back the instructions necessary to accomplish the task, using the same nerves.
Our devices perform exactly the same process to help the Brain release natural self-healing substances into the body (neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, endorphins, Serotonin ...)
Text edited by author Sydney Sprouse, freelance science writer
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It’s impossible to avoid stress, which is pervasive in life. In small doses, stress can be beneficial by motivating us to achieve goals and complete necessary tasks. On the other hand, intense stress can make us feel like we are losing all our means and even being ill, given the significant detrimental effects of stress on immune function. Come to think of it, it rarely happens that you feel great and stressed out at the same time, right? In fact, stress on the body and mind can weaken your immune system. Your body then works at full speed to provide the energy it needs to fight stressors, which weakens the strength of your immunity. As rudimentary as this explanation is, it is a good starting point to take a closer look at the effects of stress on immune function. Understanding the body's response to stressors will help better understand the link between stress and immunity. Then all you need to do is learn how to improve your stress response to feel great even during tough times. The language of stress By knowing the terminology specific to stress, we can better understand the body’s natural responses. Here are some basic terms: Stressor, or stressor: Any stimulus that causes stress. There are two types of stressors: physical and psychological. A physical stressor acts on the body, while a psychological stressor acts on the mind. Hypothalamus: An important command center in the brain. Slightly larger than a dime and located in the middle of the brain, it controls pituitary gland activity and regulates hunger, thirst, sleep, body temperature and a host of emotions. Pituitary gland: The master gland responsible for releasing most hormones in the body. Adrenal glands: Triangular glands located above the kidneys that release cortisol. Cortisol: The main hormone released into the blood in response to stress. How the body copes with stress Your body has a built-in response protocol that kicks in whenever stress arises. This process begins as soon as a stressor puts pressure on the mind or body. The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that recognizes stress. As soon as it detects a stressor, it sends a message through neurons to a nearby area of the brain called the pituitary gland. This registers the signals received from the hypothalamus and then signals the adrenal glands (above the kidneys) to increase the amount of stress hormones circulating in the blood. These are the basics of the body's natural response to stress. To better understand them and establish the link between stress and immune function, let's take a closer look at the main stress hormone: cortisol. This important hormone works by boosting your energy levels during times of stress. The effects of cortisol are temporary and as soon as the stress wears off, the energy boost it provides ceases. By reducing non-essential body activities, cortisol also helps manage stress. At the same time, it unfortunately pauses part of the immune function. Cortisol thus tries to conserve energy in the presence of stress, but the stressful period opens the door to germs. The effects of stress on immune function In the presence of a short-lived stressor - for example, being late for a date or participating in a triathlon - the action of cortisol is temporary and its effects on immunity are negligible. On the other hand, if the stress lasts for several days or weeks, a higher level of cortisol can have more harmful effects. High cortisol levels suppress your immune system by reducing the production of white blood cells. Because the latter no longer chase germs, the response to infection is much slower. If your cortisol levels stay high for a long time, you become more vulnerable to certain illnesses that you would not have caught otherwise. This explains why you are prone to colds after a long period of intense stress. Students preparing for their end-of-year exams are a good example. Indeed, many of them find themselves cold in the days following the end of the course. Here's what's going on: A stressor (the exam) triggers their body's stress response. While they study, cortisol levels go up and stay up for a longer period of time, maybe even a few weeks. During this time of stress, their immune system is suppressed to allow the brain to channel the greatest amount of energy available to combat the stress caused by an end-of-year exam. Such poor functioning allows germs to easily infiltrate healthy tissue and lead to illnesses like the common cold. Symptoms are felt to be part of the immune response and appear after the test is passed. Of course, the end-of-year exams are far from the only long-term stressor. A move to a new city, the birth of a child, a change of job and other hardships are all common long-term stressors. Since persistent stress increases cortisol levels and suppresses immunity, germs can wreak havoc on a weakened immune system during times of intense stress. Reduce your stress for the benefit of your immunity To lower your cortisol levels and protect your immune system, you need to learn how to manage stress. There is no shortage of activities to try to help relieve stress, and which are also beneficial for your overall health. Meditation is one of the most effective stress management strategies. A few minutes a day of meditative concentration can significantly lower blood cortisol levels and give you a sense of calm and serenity. Meditation can also be beneficial for your immunity. In one study, researchers found that people who practiced meditation every day developed more antibodies to the flu than others who did not. Bottom line: isolate yourself for a few minutes each from the busy world around you, taking care to turn to meditation when you feel stressed. Exercise is also a proven way to reduce stress. You probably already know the many benefits the body experiences with moving every day, and now you can add stress relief to it. (Read this article for more ways to deal with stress.) If none of these strategies work, it might be a good idea to see a mental health professional. Just talking to a counselor or social worker in a therapeutic setting can help you deal with the stressors in your life and find effective ways to deal with them. No matter how you manage stress, now is the time to equip yourself to protect your body - and your immune health - from the damaging effects of stress. Source and references: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-when-your-immune-system-gets-stressed-out/ https://www.apa.org/research/action/immune https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4465119/ https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/10-immune-system-busters-boosters#2 https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-cortisol#1 https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037