Humans use their nervous systems to send and receive messages as well as process impulses that occur in their bodies. Nerves, which are bundles of peripheral axons that run to various organs and tissues throughout the human body, send and receive these impulses. The process by which the human body develops its nervous systems is known as neural development. The neural system develops over the course of a person’s entire life, from embryonic development to adulthood.
On a daily basis, the importance of proper neural development can be seen. Consider the reactions that occur when a person comes into contact with a hot stove. Nerve impulses communicate this interaction by sending signals through the nerve network to the person’s brain when the stove is touched. Neurons, also known as neural cells, communicate with the brain that touching the stove is too painful and that the hand should be moved away from it.
The central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems are the focus of neural development. Nerve impulses are issued and sensory information is evaluated by the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. The autonomic nervous system controls vital organ function while the peripheral nervous system transports nerve impulses to and from the body and its structures. Although the nervous system’s structure appears around 18 days after conception, it is usually functional during the second prenatal month.
Several key neural development processes occur during the embryonic stage, including neurulation, spinal cord formation, and brain formation. The neural tube is formed from the embryo’s ectoderm during neurulation. The lower portion of the neural tube eventually forms the spinal cord, while the upper portion forms the brain.
Neuroscientists and developmental biologists study the processes of neural development, among other things. They usually aim to shed light on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to the formation of nervous systems. They could look into everything from nervous system patterns and regionalization, neural stem cells, and synapse formation to axonal and dendritic development, neuronal migration, and trophic interactions, among other things.
Cognitive, motor, and intellectual disabilities can be caused by defects in neural development. Neurological disorders such as Rett syndrome, mental retardation, epilepsy, and autism can result if the defects are severe enough. Many problems with neural development appear in middle age. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease are just a few examples of neurological disorders that appear later in life.