Nervous system

The nervous system, present in all multicellular animals except sponges and placozoa, is an organ system that coordinates voluntary and involuntary actions by transmitting signals between different parts of the body. In vertebrates it consists primarily of two main divisions—the central nervous system (CNS, comprising brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (PNS, comprising nerves outside CNS). The CNS processes information received from sensory organs via afferent nerves and issues commands via efferent nerves that control muscles or glands. The PNS connects limbs and organs to CNS[1]. At its core are specialized cells called neurons which transmit electrical impulses using synapses; glial cells provide support functions. As an anatomical/functional concept rather than a discrete molecule or protein complex, “nervous system” cannot be considered a direct therapeutic target—rather it contains thousands of potential druggable entities including neurotransmitter receptors (e.g., dopamine receptor), ion channels (e.g., sodium channel), enzymes involved in neurotransmitter synthesis/degradation, transporters etc.[1][4]

Other names

Central nervous system (CNS)Peripheral nervous system (PNS)Neural tissueNeural network