The body's control centre
Your body can do amazing things: think, move, feel and remember. All of this is managed by the nervous system. It works like the boss of your body, sending and receiving messages all day long.
Key idea
The nervous system is made of the brain, the spinal cord and the nerves. The brain is the main control centre.
How messages travel
Your five sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin) notice things around you. These things are called a stimulus. The message travels along the nerves to the spinal cord and up to the brain. The brain then decides what to do, and your body's action is called the response.
Example
You touch a hot pot (stimulus). You quickly pull your hand away (response). This fast, automatic action is called a reflex.
Keeping it safe
The brain is soft and very important, so it is protected by the hard bones of the skull. The spinal cord is protected by the backbone. We should protect our head, for example by wearing a helmet when cycling.