After rehabilitation for severe brain damage following a motor vehicle accident, a patient reports that her thought processes and ability to concentrate are impaired. Which area does the nurse suspect is damaged?

The nervous system is the body's command center, made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. The nervous system's main function is to send messages from the brain to the body and back out, regulating thoughts, memory, learning, feelings, movements, senses, wound healing, sleep, heartbeat, and breathing patterns.  The nervous system is made up of billions of nerve cells called neurons. Neurons have three parts: dendrites, cell body, and axon. The neuron structure is specially adapted to carry messages over large distances in the body quickly in the form of electrical signals.  The nervous... Show more

The nervous system is the body's command center, made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. The nervous system's main function is to send messages from the brain to the body and back out, regulating thoughts, memory, learning, feelings, movements, senses, wound healing, sleep, heartbeat, and breathing patterns. 

The nervous system is made up of billions of nerve cells called neurons. Neurons have three parts: dendrites, cell body, and axon. The neuron structure is specially adapted to carry messages over large distances in the body quickly in the form of electrical signals. 
The nervous system has two components: the Central nervous system (CNS) and the Peripheral nervous system (PNS) in the vertebrates. The CNS is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and neurons. The CNS's three main functions are to receive sensory information, process information, and send out motor signals. The CNS coordinates both voluntary activities, like movement, and involuntary ones, such as breathing and heartbeat. 
 

The nervous system includes:
Receptors: Cells that detect stimuli
Coordination center: The brain, spinal cord, or pancreas
Effectors: Muscles and glands that bring about responses

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