SINCE 1828
central nervous system
nounDefinition of central nervous system
: the part of the nervous system which in vertebrates consists of the brain and spinal cord, to which sensory impulses are transmitted and from which motor impulses pass out, and which coordinates the activity of the entire nervous system — compare peripheral nervous system
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Known as a red tide, the algae bloom produces toxic chemicals that can affect the central nervous systems of fish and other animals, killing or impairing them. — Arian Campo-flores, WSJ, "Why the Red Tide Is Killing Florida’s Sea Turtles," 29 July 2018 Glioblastoma multiforme, for example, is a highly malignant central nervous system tumor that grows from glial cells in the brain. — Jill Kiedaisch, Popular Mechanics, "Nanoparticles That Zap and Kill Cancer Cells Are a Small Solution to Huge Disease," 9 Jan. 2019 Ritalin, or methylphenidate, is in a class of medications called central nervous system stimulants, which are often used in children and adults to help control symptoms of ADHD or to treat narcolepsy. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN, "NRA's incoming president ties Ritalin to school shootings, but here's what the science says," 21 May 2018 In the central nervous system, plasticity is related to time. — Rachel Becker, The Verge, "Spinal implants help treat paralysis but aren’t ready for primetime," 3 Nov. 2018 The algae, Karenia brevis, releases toxins that can attack the central nervous system in animals and can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation in people, according to a fact sheet from Florida’s Department of Health. — Lindsey Bever, The Seattle Times, "Protesters run Florida governor out of campaign rally," 18 Sep. 2018 Empire is the central nervous system that animates everything in the story. — Neel Mukherjee, WSJ, "‘The Last Englishmen’ Review: India, Everest and Empire," 23 Aug. 2018 Among them is the possibility that cancer, and/or its treatment, somehow knocks the immune system off balance and unleashes a toxic flood of inflammatory agents upon the central nervous system. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "What causes ‘chemobrain’? It’s time for neuroscientists to get serious about finding out, experts say," 13 June 2018 Dangling from the brain like the tentacles of a jellyfish, olfactory neurons are the only part of the central nervous system constantly exposed to the outside world. — Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, "How Quantum Mechanics Lets Us See, Smell and Touch," 24 Oct. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'central nervous system.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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