script+for+period+7+nervous+project

Sara: Hello, and I am Meredith Tierra here on the Today Show. It is 9 a.m. on the hour and we are in Times Square at studio three.

Alex: My name is Ann Murry and we are here for a special segment on the nervous system.

Sara: As many viewers might wonder, why are we doing a segment on the nervous system? We would like to tell the viewers that the nervous system is so important to the human body. The nervous system controls the brain and lets us feel and understand what is happening.

Alex: We are the first humans to ever take a tour of the nervous system. What a treat!!!!! This is footage, seen for the first time. We are giving you breaking news and something that you will surely remember. Now, join us as we unravel the ins and outs of the nervous system.

Sara: We took our tour last night, and we have put it into a slide show! Sit back and be ready to be amazed at what an awesome system we took a tour of.

(slide show turns on)

Alex: Wow, what a ride!!!!! I hope that we did not affect this person's ability to feel! Did you know that the nervous system is what allows you to think, to move around, to taste, feel, and to have emotions?

Sara: I'm really nervous that we will interfere with the brain, since it is what makes the nervous system work. If we accidentally brake his spine, he will be paralyzed. If you were wondering whose body we are in, we are in a 30 year old man.

Alex: He is in good health and approved of us going into his body. Right now he is in good care and on sleeping pills. Medical doctors are watching him closely, so kids- DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!!!!!!!

Sara: We have just entered the brain officially.

Alex: As we all know the brain is a very important part of the body, and without it our the nervous system, we wouldn't be smart and couldn't so anything!!!!! It is easy to see that the brain is important.

Sara: A fact about the brain is that is sends messages down to the spine, our next stop on this trip, so we can move and think!!!!!

(info from http://www.reeve.uci.edu/anatomy/scns.php) Alex: Yes, how it really works is, the brain sends messages through neurons. Only 10% of brain cells are neurons, the other 90% are cells called glia.

Sara: Glia is Latin for glue- which is basically exactly what the glia cells do. They hold the nervous system together. I am glad that there are a lot of these cells!!!! I sure wouldn't want my nervous system to fall apart!

Alex: There are two parts of the brain, there is obviously the left, and the right. In the right side of the brain, it looks at wholes, and plans out things. In the left side of the brain, it is focusing on the parts. It is rational and is objective. It looks more at the specifics.

Sara: Wow! I'm pretty sure that I'm left brained since I'm always focusing on the little parts of a project, not the whole!

Alex: To be even more exact there are also more specific parts of the brain. They are called the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain.

Sara: Because of you cerebrum, you can learn and remember. The right half of the cerebrum sends messages to the left half of the skeletal muscle and the left half of the cerebrum sends messages to the right half of the skeletal muscle.

Alex: The second largest part of the brain is the cerebellum. When you move your hand, or your foot, you can do this because the cerebellum tells your feet to move. The cerebellum also helps you keep your balance.

Sara: The third main region of your brain is the brain stem which stays between the cerebellum and the spinal cord. The brain stems control you involuntary movements such as your heart beating.

Alex: OK! Now that we've taken a tour of the brain, we'll slowly make our way into the spinal cord. Meredith!!! Careful, make sure you don't go too fast. We want to make sure that he doesn't get paralyzed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinal_cord

Sara: Oops! It would have been horrible if I had gone any faster!!!! Do you know what happens in the spinal chord? Well, I do. The spinal chord is the main connector between the brain and the peripheral nervous system.

Alex: Oh my! Look at those neurons passing by! They are so long and twisted. It looks like a floating jungle! Now that I am looking, there are so many in here!

Sara: WOW! Thank you Anne, that is quite a site.

Alex: It is coming time to go, but we'll see you next time, on whats in the digestive system!

Sara: Bye for now, and we'll see you soon.

Alex: Meredith, I think we should keep observing the body, since it is SO amazing! Viewers -we'll see you next week at 9 a.m. for a segment on the digestive system!