Nerve Nerve Nerve Nerve Nerve is an element of the central or peripheral nervous system that carries impulses of sensation and movement between the brain or spinal cord and the eyes, ears, muscles, glands, and other parts of the body. Nerve impulses are transmitted by a weak electrical current that results from chemical changes taking place Sensory nerves collect information from the body and transmit it in the form of electrical impulses to the central nervous system for action. For example, specialized nerve endings in the skin may detect a sensation, such as cold, and pass the information to the brain. The brain may react by causing other nerves to stimulate shivering.
Motor nerves cause movement through the action of muscles.
A reaction to intense heat, for example, causes the brain to stimulate motor nerves that cause the part of the body to be jerked away from the source of heat. The main nerves are named according to the regions to which they branch off. There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves.