What are nerves?

Nerves, or neurons, run throughout the human body, connecting everything together like a telephone network. The nerves in the central part of your body and brain form the central nervous system, whereas those in your arms and legs form the peripheral nervous system. The nerves act as a communication system, carrying information from one area of the body to another.

Launch it ... Try the Nerve Wrecker and test your nerve know-how.
Did You Know ... ?

What do nerves do?

There are different types of nerves, and each has a special function in the communication system. For example, if you touch something hot, sensory neurons carry information up the spinal column to your brain. The brain then processes the information and sends it back down to your muscles via motor neurons. This information results in muscle contraction, i.e. removing your hand from the source of heat. All this happens in a matter of microseconds.

Did You Know ... ?

In the eye there are special nerves, called optic nerves, which take information that you receive in your eye to your brain.

Launch it ... Try this Eye Test and find out how optic nerves affect your sight.

What happens when nerves are damaged?

Scientists are investigating nerves so that they can try to help those whose nerves are damaged.

Launch it ... What do you think would happen if your nerves were damaged at one stage in the Nerve Wrecker game?

Can engineers learn from the human body? Find out more in the Big Questions.