The cerebellum is found in the posterior portion of the brain and controls balance and coordination. The cerebrum controls upper level cognition, such as conscious thought, and memory. The hypothalamus is a crucial endocrine structure and helps regulate hormone secretion from the pituitary and body homeostasis. The brain stem controls the most basic duties of the body, which include breathing rate, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Digestion and excretion are not consciously controlled, which means that they fall under the control of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system has two branches: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system is involved in "fight or flight" activities, while the parasympathetic nervous system controls "rest and digest" activities. As a result, digestive and excretory activity is increased by the parasympathetic nervous system.

The central nervous system contain components of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system and controls a variety of nervous functions. Only the brain and spinal cord are considered part of the central nervous system. The somatic nervous system is under voluntary control, and is primarily linked to skeletal muscle.

The nervous system has a variety of support cells in addition to neurons. These support cells are collectively called the neuroglia.

Microglia are used to remove debris from the nervous system, astrocytes provide support to neurons, and Schwann cells are used to myelinate the axons in the peripheral nervous system. It is the role of ependymal cells to synthesize and circulate cerebrospinal fluid using their cilia.

Relaxation of bronchial smooth muscle is an involuntary process, which is accomplished by the autonomic system rather than the somatic. It is also a part of the "fight or flight" response, which relates to the sympathetic system. Postganglionic neurons directly stimulate target tissues, while preganglionic neurons stimulate postganglionic neurons.