nervous system
the nervous system is amazing. it takes in and processes millions of bits of information at every moment. It controls your heart beat, your blood chemistry, your immune system and simultaneously sends out commands to every millimeter of your body via the spinal cord.
The spinal cord is made up of millions of nerve fibres that run like wires up and down your spine. It is the information super highway for your body.
Nerve tissue is delicate stuff. Damage to the brain or spinal cord could last forever.
Protection for this sensitive tissue is provided by bone.
The brain is completely covered by solid bone (your skull) and your spinal cord is protected by vertebrae. The spinal canal is a hole in each vertebra that allows for passage of the spinal cord. twenty four separate vertebral bones are stacked one on top of the other to allow for both movement and protection.