ABSTRACT
The primary function of the nervous system is the transmission from one part of the body to another of electrical impulses that can be interpreted by the brain or used by other nerves to control bodily activities. Some of the information transmitted in the form of electrical impulses is interpreted on the conscious level as thought processes in the brain. In the central nervous system, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter is acetylcholine, so these nerves and those that stimulate muscles comprise what is called the cholinergic system (literally, "responding to choline," but actually referring to acetylcholine). All the nerves may be divided into two physiologic areas, the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system. The CNS is comprised of the cerebral cortex, basal regions of the brain, and the spinal cord. This efferent division of the visceral nervous system is more commonly known as the autonomic nervous system, from the same roots as the English word autonomous, meaning self-governing.
