What is the Difference Between Nervous Tissue and Nervous System

The main difference between nervous tissue and nervous system is that the nervous tissue is one of the four types of tissues in animals, making up the nervous system, whereas the nervous system is the complex system of nerves and cells, which coordinate the functions of the body in response to different responses. Furthermore, nervous tissue contains nerve cells and neuroglia while nervous system mainly contains the central and peripheral nervous system.

Nervous tissue and nervous system are two structurally and functionally related components of the body responsible for the coordination of functions.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is the Nervous Tissue
     – Definition, Structure, Function
2. What is the Nervous System
     – Definition, Components, Function
3. What are the Similarities Between Nervous Tissue and Nervous System
     – Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Nervous Tissue and Nervous System
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Central Nervous System, Neuroglia, Nerve Cells, Nervous System, Nervous Tissue, Peripheral Nervous System

What is the Nervous Tissue

Nervous tissue is a type of tissue which makes up the nervous system. The two main types of cells found in the nervous tissue are the nerve cells and glial cells or neuroglia. However, nerve cells are the main structural and functional unit of the nervous system. The main function of nerve cells is to transmit impulses throughout the nervous system. More importantly, this transmission occurs electrically through the nerve cells and as chemical signals in the gap between the two nerve cells.

Moreover, the main components of a typical nerve cell are the cell body, dendrites, axon, and synaptic terminals. The axons of most nerve cells are insulated with myelin. It increases the speed of transmission of impulses. In addition, the synaptic terminals of nerve cells contain neurotransmitters whose release to the synaptic gap results in the generation of an action potential on the postsynaptic nerve cell. Furthermore, based on the number of axons, nerve cells can be classified as unipolar, bipolar, and multipolar nerve cells.

Figure 1: Nerve Cell and Neuroglia

Meanwhile, neuroglia are the second type of cells in the nervous tissue. Their function is to support the nerve cells and to help in the transmission of nerve impulses. The two types of neuroglia in the peripheral nervous system are Schwan cells and satellite cells. Also, the neuroglia found in the central nervous system are astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and ependymal cells.

What is the Nervous System

The nervous system is the network of nerve cells. The main function of the nervous system is to coordinate the functions of the body in response to both internal and external stimuli. It helps to maintain a constant internal environment inside the body as well. Also, it allows organisms to respond to external stimuli as well. Furthermore, the major components of the nervous system are the brain, spinal cord, nerves, ganglia, and receptor and effector organs.

Figure 2: Nervous System

Also, the two regions of the nervous system are the central and peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system (CNS) contains the brain and the spinal cord while the peripheral nervous system (PNS) contains the nerve network in the peripheral part of the body. The CNS is responsible for coordinating the information while the PNS is responsible for the coordination of the receptor and effector organs to the CNS. Moreover, the PNS can be classified further into the somatic and autonomic nervous system. Here, the somatic nervous system coordinates the voluntary functions while the autonomic nervous system coordinates the involuntary functions.

Similarities Between Nervous Tissue and Nervous System

• Nervous tissue and nervous system are two types of structural and functional components of the body.
• Their structural and functional unit is the nerve cell.
• Also, the main function of both components in the body is to coordinate the functions of the body according to the internal and external stimuli.

Difference Between Nervous Tissue and Nervous System

Definition

Nervous tissue refers to one of the four types of tissues in the animal body, making up the brain, spinal cord, and nerves while nervous system refers to the network of nerve cells and nerves which transmits impulses between parts of the body. Thus, this is the main difference between nervous tissue and nervous system.

Correspondence

Moreover, nervous tissue is a type of tissue that makes up the nervous system while the nervous system is one of the main systems of the body, which coordinates the functions of the body.

Made up of

Another difference between nervous tissue and nervous system is their composition. Nervous tissue is made up of nerve cells and neuroglia while the nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

Components

Finally, nervous tissue consists of three types of nerve cells: unipolar, bipolar, and unipolar nerve cells while the nervous system consists of the central and peripheral nervous system. Hence, this is another difference between nervous tissue and nervous system.

Conclusion

Nervous tissue is a type of tissue which makes up the nervous system. It is made up of nerve cells and neuroglia. In comparison, the nervous system is one of the complex systems of the body responsible for the coordination of functions of the body. Also, the two main components of the nervous system are the central and peripheral nervous system. However, the main difference between nervous tissue and nervous system is their relationship.

References:

1. “Introduction to the Nervous System and Nervous Tissue|Anatomy and Physiology I.” Lumen Learning, Lumen, Available Here

Image Courtesy:

1. “Blausen 0672 NeuralTissue” By BruceBlaus. Blausen.com staff (2014). “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014”. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia 
2. “1201 Overview of Nervous System” By OpenStax –  (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia  

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