Curious About Nerves

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  MY KIDS, OLIVIA AND NOAH, ARE REALLY GREAT KIDS.  THEY ARE SWEET, AND THOUGHTFUL, AND FUNNY, AND SMART, BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN, ONE OF THEM GETS INTO A BIT OF TROUBLE.  WHEN THEY GET INTO TROUBLE, I SOMETIMES TELL THEM THAT THEY ARE REALLY GETTING ON MY NERVES.  HEY PARENTS OUT THERE… MAYBE YOU’VE SAID THE SAME THING OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO YOUR KIDS.  WHEN I WAS A CHILD AND I GOT MY MOMMY ANGRY, SHE WOULD SOMETIMES EVEN TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER AND TELL ME THAT I WAS GETTING ON HER LAST NERVE.  I WASN’T EXACTLY SURE WHAT SHE MEANT BY GETTING ON HER LAST NERVE, BUT I KNEW IT WASN’T GOOD FROM THE WAY SHE WAS TELLING ME.  TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO DISCOVER WHERE THAT EXPRESSION COMES FROM AND SO MUCH MORE.  

O:  MAILBAG!

D:  MAILBAG!

“HI OLIVIA AND MR. JACOB!

WE LIKE YOUR PODCAST AND LISTEN DURING DINNER TIME.  WE REALLY LIKED YOUR 100TH EPISODE BECAUSE YOU EXTENDED THE HELLO AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY.

WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT NERVES ARE AND WHY DO OUR BODY PARTS FALL ASLEEP SOMETIMES.  

THANK YOU,

GABE AND ELI, 9 AND 7 YEARS OLD, OF MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA”

O:  THAT WAS A SUPER E-MAIL.  WE CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NERVES FOR GABE AND ELI.  BY THE WAY, I ALSO ENJOYED THE WAY MY DADDY SAID HELLO IN EPISODE 100.  HIS FACE TURNED RED LIKE A TOMATO.

D:  IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD EPISODE 100, YOU SHOULD GIVE IT A LISTEN BECAUSE IT’S A SUPER FUN EPISODE, WITH A CRAZY LONG HELLO, AND THERE ARE ALSO LOTS OF MESSAGES FROM OUR LISTENERS AT THE END OF THAT EPISODE… IT WAS A BLAST.  BY THE WAY, I DIDN’T PLAN A SUPER LONG “HELLO” BEFORE THE EPISODE.  I WAS JUST SO PUMPED AND EXCITED ABOUT RECORDING OUR 100TH EPISODE THAT I JUST DIDN’T WANT TO STOP SCREAMING HELLO.  

O:  OUR 200TH EPISODE IS JUST A FEW MONTHS AWAY, SO MAYBE WE ARE GOING TO GET ANOTHER RIDICULOUSLY LONG HELLO.  I GUESS WE WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

D:  OOOOH… GREAT JOB BUILDING THE SUSPENSE.  I LOVE THE QUESTION GABE AND ELI ASKED ABOUT NERVES AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT QUESTION OF THE WEEK.

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHY DO OUR BODY PARTS FALL ASLEEP SOMETIMES?

D:  HAVE YOU EVER HAD THAT HAPPEN TO YOU?  A BODY PART FALLS ASLEEP?  IT USUALLY HAPPENS TO ONE ARM OR ONE LEG.  IT DOESN’T FEEL THAT GOOD AT ALL.

O:  IT HAPPENS TO YOU ALL THE TIME WHEN I GIVE YOU A HAIRCUT.

D:  YOU HEARD HER RIGHT, EVERYONE.  OLIVIA HAS BEEN GIVING ME HAIRCUTS FOR NEARLY 2 YEARS NOW, EVER SINCE WE HAD TO STAY HOME FOR THE PANDEMIC.

O:  IT’S NOT THAT DIFFICULT, DADDY.  IT’S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT OF HAIR OR ANYTHING.  

D:  ALRIGHT OLIVIA, NO NEED TO POINT THAT OUT.  LET’S FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT BEFORE YOU GET ON MY NERVES.

O:  IN ORDER TO LEARN ABOUT NERVES, WE NEED TO LEARN ALL ABOUT THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.  THE NERVOUS SYSTEM IS MADE UP OF ALL THE NERVES IN YOUR BODY AS WELL AS YOUR BRAIN AND YOUR SPINAL CORD.  

D:  THE NERVOUS SYSTEM IS WHAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.  RIGHT NOW, I’M TALKING INTO A MICROPHONE.  IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, MY BRAIN SENDS A SIGNAL TO MOVE MY MOUTH AND IT USES THE NERVOUS SYSTEM TO SEND THE SIGNAL.  THAT’S AN EXAMPLE OF A SIGNAL GOING FROM THE BRAIN TO ANOTHER PART OF THE BODY.

O:  SIGNALS CAN ALSO GO IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, FROM A BODY PART TO THE BRAIN.  FOR EXAMPLE, IF I SMELL A STINKY SKUNK IN MY BACKYARD, A MESSAGE WILL TRAVEL FROM MY NOSE TO MY BRAIN ALLOWING ME TO PROCESS THE INFORMATION.  THAT WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.  

D:  THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD MAKE UP WHAT’S CALLED THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND ALL OF THE NERVES THAT TRAVEL THROUGH THE BODY ARE COLLECTIVELY CALLED THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.  THE BRAIN IS LIKE A SUPER COMPUTER THAT SENDS AND RECEIVES MESSAGES.  THE SPINAL CORD GOES FROM YOUR BRAIN DOWN YOUR BACK AND ALSO CARRIES MESSAGES.  NERVES RUN FROM THE SPINAL CORD AND TRAVEL THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE BODY.   

O:  NERVES ARE LIKE WIRES THAT CARRY IMPORTANT INFORMATION AROUND THE BODY AND HELP CONTROL EVERYTHING WE DO.  THE TINY CELLS THAT MAKE UP ALL NERVES ARE CALLED NEURONS.  OUR BODIES EACH HAVE BILLIONS OF NEURONS.  OUR BRAINS ALONE HAVE ABOUT 100 BILLION NEURONS.  THERE ARE MORE NEURONS IN THE BRAIN THAN STARS IN THE MILKY WAY.  MIND BLOWN!  

D:  ALL NEURONS HAVE 3 BASIC PARTS.  THERE IS THE DENDRITE, WHICH KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A FEW BRANCHES ON THE END OF THE NEURON.  THE MAIN PART OF THE NEURON, WHERE ALL OF THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION IS STORED, IS CALLED THE CELL BODY.  FINALLY, THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED THE AXON, WHICH LOOKS LIKE A SINGLE LONGER BRANCH.

O:  NEURONS RECEIVE SIGNALS IN THE DENDRITE AND SEND SIGNALS WITH THE AXON.  NEURONS COME IN DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES AND COMBINE TO MAKE NERVES.  

D:  NERVES ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES.  THERE ARE MOTOR NERVES AND SENSORY NERVES.  MOTOR NERVES TRAVEL FROM THE BRAIN TO OUR MUSCLES AND THEY HELP CONTROL OUR MOVEMENT.  THE EXAMPLE I GAVE EARLIER ABOUT MY BRAIN TELLING MY MOUTH TO MOVE SO THAT I CAN TALK INTO THE MICROPHONE HAPPENS BECAUSE OF MOTOR NERVES.   

O:  SENSORY NERVES TRAVEL TO THE BRAIN FROM ALL AROUND THE BODY AND TELL THE BRAIN WHAT YOU’RE SENSING.  ANYTHING YOU SEE, TASTE, SMELL, HEAR, AND TOUCH TRAVELS TO THE BRAIN USING SENSORY NERVES.  THE EXAMPLE I GAVE EARLIER OF SMELLING A SKUNK HAPPENS BECAUSE OF SENSORY NERVES.

D:  THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CAN ALSO BE BROKEN DOWN INTO TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES CALLED THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.  NERVES THAT ARE PART OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM WORK AUTOMATICALLY.  AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE HOW YOUR HEART BEATS.  YOUR HEART BEATS ALL DAY LONG.  YOU DON’T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT, THANKFULLY.  CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOU HAD TO CONTROL THE BEATING OF YOUR HEART LIKE YOU CONTROL THE MOVEMENT OF OTHER BODY PARTS?  THAT WOULD BE TERRIBLE.  WHEN YOU EAT FOOD, YOUR BODY DIGESTS THE FOOD.  IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS, YOU CAN CHECK OUT OUR EPISODE ON PEE AND POOP.  AS WAS THE CASE WITH OUR BEATING HEARTS, OUR BODIES DIGEST OUR FOOD WITHOUT US ACTIVELY THINKING ABOUT IT.  OUR BODIES DO LOTS OF AMAZING THINGS AUTOMATICALLY, AND THOSE THINGS ARE CONTROLLED BY OUR AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEMS.

O:  THE NERVES THAT WE DO CONTROL ARE PART OF THE SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.  WHEN I THROW A BALL, OR SIT DOWN, OR MAKE ANY OTHER MOVEMENTS, MY BODY PARTS ARE BEING CONTROLLED USING MY SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.  THANKFULLY, WE NEED TO PLAY AN ACTIVE PART IN MOVING OUR BODY PARTS USING OUR SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEMS.  CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOUR ARMS AND LEGS MOVED AUTOMATICALLY, WITHOUT YOUR CONTROL?  THAT WOULD BE SO FRUSTRATING.  

D:  IT’S TIME TO THROW SOME UNBELIEVABLE FACTS ABOUT THE NERVOUS SYSTEM YOUR WAY.  CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT INFORMATION IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM CAN TRAVEL OVER 250 MILES PER HOUR?  ALPHA MOTOR NEURONS IN THE SPINAL CORD SEND SIGNALS AT A SUPER-FAST 268 MILES PER HOUR.

O:  THERE ARE ALSO NERVES IN THE SKIN THAT SEND INFO REAL SLOWLY.  THOSE SIGNALS CAN BE AS SLOW AS 1 MILE PER HOUR.

D:  IN SOME EXAMPLES, THE BRAIN ISN’T INVOLVED IN PROCESSING SIGNALS.  THIS HAPPENS WITH REFLEXES.  IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY TOUCH A HOT STOVE WITH YOUR HAND, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE A REFLEX THAT ALLOWS YOU TO PULL YOUR HAND AWAY IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT NEEDING TO HAVE THE MESSAGE PROCESSED BY THE BRAIN.  

O:  THE LONGEST NERVE IN THE BODY IS CALLED THE SCIATIC NERVE.  IT RUNS ALL THE WAY FROM THE SPINE TO THE FOOT.  

D:  THE SCIATIC NERVE CAN BE PINCHED IN SOME PEOPLE CAUSING A PAINFUL CONDITION CALLED SCIATICA.  THIS HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY WITH PREGNANCY, BUT CAN HAPPEN TO OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.   

O:  THE BODY HAS 43 PAIRS OF NERVES.  12 PAIRS ARE CONNECTED TO THE BRAIN, AND 31 PAIRS CONNECT TO THE SPINAL CORD.  

D:  SO MANY AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE REMARKABLE NERVOUS SYSTEM.  BEFORE WE GET TO THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK, LET’S LEARN WHERE THE SAYING “GET ON MY NERVES” COMES FROM.  

O:  IT COMES FROM A 100 YEAR OLD BOOK CALLED ULYSSES.

D:  THE BOOK WAS RELEASED IN 1922 BY AUTHOR JAMES JOYCE.  IN CHAPTER 13, THERE IS A LINE THAT SAYS “THEY WOULD TAKE THEIR SQUALLING BABY HOME OUT OF THAT AND NOT GET ON HER NERVES.”  IT’S CRAZY TO THINK THAT THE POPULAR PHRASE CAME FROM A BOOK AND THAT IT IS JUST 100 YEARS OLD.

ALRIGHT, TIME TO GET TO THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  WHY DO BODY PARTS FALL ASLEEP?

O:  THE SENSATION OF A BODY PART FALLING ASLEEP, OFTEN CALLED PINS AND NEEDLES, HAPPENS BECAUSE NERVES IN THE AREA GET SQUISHED, INTERRUPTING MESSAGES GOING TO AND FROM THE BRAIN.  

D:  SO, WHEN OLIVIA IS GIVING ME A HAIRCUT, I SIT ON THE FLOOR WITH MY LEGS CROSSED.  WHEN I PUT THE WEIGHT OF ONE LEG ON THE OTHER, NERVES GET SQUISHED, PREVENTING MESSAGES FROM TRAVELING TO THE AREA WITH THE SQUISHED NERVES.  YOU DON’T USUALLY FEEL THE UNCOMFORTABLE PINS AND NEEDLES FEELING UNTIL YOU MOVE AND THE NERVES ARE NO LONGER SQUISHED, BRINGING FEELING BACK TO THE AREA VERY SLOWLY.  WHILE FEELING RETURNS TO THE AREA, THE SENSATION YOU FEEL COULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE, OR EVEN A LITTLE PAINFUL, BUT DON’T WORRY.  THINGS WILL RETURN TO NORMAL VERY SOON.  

WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  179 - NERVES.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB GABE AND ELI, FOR THE SENSATIONAL EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION THAT DIDN’T MAKE ME NERVOUS AT ALL.  BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE UNTIL NEXT WEEK, WE WANT TO THANK SOME VERY SPECIAL LISTENERS.

O:  THANK YOU USERNAME FLAG QUIZ QUEEN FOR LEAVING US A 5 STAR REVIEW.

D:  THE REVIEW SAYS “WE’VE BEEN MARATHONING CURIOUS KID PODCAST EPISODES FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS AND WE LOVE THEM!  JORDAN, BORN IN OCTOBER 2013 - SAME AGE AS OLIVIA, AND LUKE, BORN IN APRIL 2015, ARE HUGE FANS.  THEIR MOMMY IS TOO.  MOMMY HAS BEEN ENJOYING THE MINI-PRESIDENTIAL EPISODES AND KIDS OF COURSE LOVE ALL OF THE BODILY-FUNCTION ONES.  WE ALSO ALL LOVED THE MEGALODON ONE.  KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK!  CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL THE SUCCESS!”

O:  THAT REVIEW IS SO SWEET, AND ME AND MY DADDY WERE SO HAPPY TO READ IT.  IT GAVE US THE WARM AND FUZZIES.  WE ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTER, RIVA J.

D:  A BIG, BIG THANKS TO RIVA FOR SUPPORTING THE PODCAST.  AMONG OTHER THINGS, RIVA NOW HAS ACCESS TO OUR MONTHLY CURRENT EVENTS EPISODES.  TO FIND OUT HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST ON PATREON, CLICK ON THE LINK IN THE SHOW NOTES OR SEARCH FOR US ON WWW.PATREON.COM.  THAT’S P-A-T-R-E-O-N.  JOIN US NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT SNORING FOR A LISTENER IN HIGHLAND VILLAGE, TEXAS.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.