The Nervous System

The nervous system is a network of “wires” going to and coming from every part of the body. Show kids images of the nervous system.
Type into your browser: nervous system images

Most prominent are bundles of nerve cells (“cables”) leading from sensory organs to the brain. For example, show kids diagrams of the anatomy of the eye (type into your browser: simplified anatomy of eye images) and point out the optic nerve. The optic nerve is a bundle of nerve fibers (“wires”). Each carries signals regarding the color and brightness of a given pixel within the field of vision. In the brain, these signals are translated into our sense of vision.

On interpreting the vision, the brain determines the necessary response–which muscles need to contract exactly how much to bring about that response. It then sends signals through particular nerve fibers leading from the brain to those muscles required to contract. On reaching the muscle, the signals cause the muscle to contract. See diagram: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/neuromuscular-system/ (scroll down slightly)

Note that this all occurs in a tiny fraction of a second, and it is going on continuously as we are constantly responding to visual and other stimuli throughout the day.

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