The nervous system consists of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system. Neurons are the basic functional units and come in several types - sensory, motor, and interneurons. Sensory neurons transmit impulses to the CNS while motor neurons control muscles. The peripheral nervous system branches throughout the body and contains 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves. The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary functions and has sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.