Central nervous system

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/central-nervous-system

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary neural structures?Brain (encephalon) and spinal cord
2. What is the brain's outer layer?Cerebral cortex, responsible for higher cognitive functions
3. How does the brain help us move and talk?The brain's outer layer, the cerebral cortex, controls language, memory, and voluntary movement. Below it, the cerebellum coordinates smooth movements. Together they let us walk, play, and speak.
4. What does the spinal cord do?The spinal cord carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. It also has its own circuits that can make quick reflexes, like pulling a hand back from something hot. It helps keep us balanced and moving.

Neuron: A fundamental cell of the nervous system responsible for transmitting electrical and chemical signals.
Synapse: The junction between two neurons where information is transmitted, typically via neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitter: Chemical messengers released at synapses that bind to receptors on target neurons, influencing their activity.