Nervous System

The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous system contains the brain and spinal cord.

What is the Nervous System?

The nervous system is a complex network of neurons and cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to various parts of the body.

Development of the Nervous System

Function of the Nervous System

The Impact of Hormones on the Nervous System

Pathology of the Nervous System

What are Schwann Cells?

Bioelectronic Medicine: Hacking Nervous System Signals for Therapeutic Benefits

Latest Nervous System News and Research

New optical control platform blocks and restores neural signaling

DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) announced that a research team led by Professor Ji Won Um of the Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity, Department of Brain Sciences, in collaboration with a research team led by Professor Alice Ting at Stanford University, has developed LATeNT, a novel optical control platform that uses light to block signal transmission between neurons and subsequently restore normal signaling.

19 Aug 2026

International task force outlines roadmap for precision stroke recovery

An international task force co-led by a Georgetown University stroke expert has outlined a bold new roadmap for stroke recovery, positioning genetic and blood biomarkers to drive the next generation of precision neuro-rehabilitation and biotherapy.

19 Aug 2026

UC Irvine researchers develop framework to make CAR T-cell therapy safer

CAR T-cell therapy has transformed cancer care, offering new hope to patients with aggressive blood cancers who once had few treatment options.

18 Aug 2026

Long-term study outlines unexpected findings about tick populations

Tick-borne diseases are on the rise in the United States. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported, with nearly half a million people diagnosed each year.

17 Aug 2026

Childhood trauma affects brain pathways linked to adult anhedonia

Experiencing trauma in childhood can lead to a lack of motivation and less pleasure from rewards-or anhedonia-later in life.

17 Aug 2026

Aircrews face highest risk of radiation-related cancer deaths

Of more than 500 occupations in the United States, flight attendants and pilots have the highest and second-highest proportion of radiation-related cancer deaths, a new study has found.

17 Aug 2026

Cocoa looks promising for mood, but the brain benefits come with a catch

A review of clinical and preclinical studies suggests cocoa polyphenols may support mood, neuroplasticity, cerebral blood flow, and gut-brain signaling through pathways involving BDNF/CREB, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

17 Aug 2026

New study focuses on starving bacteria to prevent Lyme disease

Triggered by a near painless tick bite, Lyme disease causes severe pain and inflammation for more than 475,000 people in the U.S annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

13 Aug 2026

Common e-cigarette flavorant may disrupt normal embryo development

Vanillin, a common flavoring chemical in e-cigarettes, may disrupt the normal development of embryos in pregnant women who vape, according to a study published today (Thursday) in Human Reproduction, one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals.

13 Aug 2026

Your social life may leave a mark on how fast you age

Positive social experiences were associated with longer survival, while childhood adversity predicted shorter survival in a 1,309-person longitudinal cohort followed for nearly 15 years. Epigenetic aging, particularly GrimAge2, emerged as the strongest potential pathway linking social experiences with mortality risk.

12 Aug 2026

Swimming sends wrist-worn heart rate monitors off track

Researchers created an open-access dataset comparing two wrist-worn heart rate monitors with a chest-strap reference during dry-land exercise and swimming. Both smartwatches performed substantially worse underwater, highlighting the challenges water poses to optical heart rate monitoring and providing a resource for future research on aquatic wearables.

12 Aug 2026

Later-life estrogen therapy associated with lower risk of developing dementia

Use of hormone therapy later in life was associated with lower risk of developing dementia, according to a study published August 12, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

12 Aug 2026

Folic acid relies on vitamin A pathway to prevent birth defects

For decades, we've known that folic acid can help prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, but we haven't fully understood how it does it.

11 Aug 2026

Scientists create single-cell atlas of spinal neurons involved in motor coordination

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital created a single-cell atlas of a key class of spinal neurons involved in motor coordination. From that resource, they identified a small subgroup of interneurons associated with the speed of rhythmic movements such as walking.

10 Aug 2026

Study reveals how wind helps animals track hidden odors

Humans trust dogs to help find missing people and bees to pollinate their crops. But scientists still don't fully understand how these animals use their extraordinary sense of smell to locate the source of an odor.

10 Aug 2026

Natural hormone activates brain-to-liver signaling pathway to suppress liver inflammation

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered that a naturally occurring hormone best known for suppressing appetite and promoting weight loss also helps protect the liver from inflammation through a previously unknown signalling pathway, opening new possibilities for treating advanced fatty liver disease.

10 Aug 2026