Body Messages

Open to everyone until Friday, October 2

To keep it, print it while it is open.

Nerves are like tiny roads that carry messages through your body. Some nerves bring news from your skin to your spinal cord and brain, and others carry orders back to your muscles.

In the picture

Skin on the calf: the spot where the cat’s touch is felt
Spinal cord in the backbone: the route that carries the touch message upward
Brain: the place that receives the message and decides what to do
Calf muscle: the part that gets the order to move the leg

Examples

Touching a hot cup and pulling your hand away
Feeling a mosquito land on your arm and swiping it off

Key takeaways

Sensory nerves carry information from the body toward the spinal cord and brain.
Motor nerves carry commands from the brain and spinal cord back to muscles.