The Spinal Cord
The spinal cord is made up of bundles of nerve fibers. It runs down from the brain through a canal in the center of the bones of the spine. These bones protect the spinal cord. Like the brain, the spinal cord is covered by the meninges and cushioned by the cerebrospinal fluid.
Spinal nerves connect the brain with the nerves in most parts of the body. Other nerves go directly from the brain to the eyes,ears and other parts of the head. This network of nerves carries messages back and forth between the brain and the rest of the body.
