Which option best describes the peripheral nervous system?

• A. Central Nervous System
• B. Peripheral Nervous System
• C. Autonomic Nervous System
• D. Somatic Nervous System

Answer: (B)

The peripheral nervous system is the network of nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body. It carries sensory information to the brain and transmits motor commands from the brain to muscles and organs. It includes cranial and spinal nerves and their ganglia, and is functionally split into somatic (voluntary control of skeletal muscles) and autonomic (involuntary control of internal organs). The central nervous system is the brain and spinal cord, not the peripheral nerves, so that option describes the opposite part. The autonomic and somatic divisions are components within the peripheral system, not the full description of it, making the peripheral nervous system the best overall description.