Peripheral nervous system
The nerves that link the brain and cord to the body.
Wires to the body
The brain and spinal cord must send and receive messages to and from the rest of the body, such as hands, legs and eyes.
What carries these messages between the brain or spinal cord and other parts of the body?
What this lesson covers
The idea
The peripheral nervous system, made of cranial nerves arising from the brain and spinal nerves arising from the spinal cord, carries communication between the central nervous system and other parts of the body.
Wires to the body
The brain and spinal cord must send and receive messages to and from the rest of the body, such as hands, legs and eyes.
What carries these messages between the brain or spinal cord and other parts of the body?
- Nerves that arise from the brain and from the spinal cord
- The bones of the backbone
- The fluid inside the skull
Two sets of nerves
Open every tab.
The messengers
The central nervous system is in the middle. The peripheral nervous system reaches out from it. Cranial nerves start in the brain and spinal nerves start in the spinal cord.
The peripheral nervous system is made of cranial nerves arising from the brain and spinal nerves arising from the spinal cord. It carries communication between the central nervous system and the other parts of the body.
Notes
The peripheral nervous system, made of cranial nerves (from the brain) and spinal nerves (from the spinal cord), carries communication between the central nervous system and the other parts of the body.
Check yourself
Which nerves arise from the brain?
What does the peripheral nervous system do?
Which pair makes up the peripheral nervous system?
- Spinal nerves. Spinal nerves arise from the spinal cord.
- The vertebral column. The vertebral column is the backbone, which protects the spinal cord. It is not a nerve.
- Cranial nerves — correct. Yes!
- It carries communication between the central nervous system and other parts of the body — correct. Yes!
- It integrates information as the main coordinating centre. That is the work of the brain, which is part of the central nervous system.
- It protects the brain like a bony box. The bony box protects the brain. The peripheral nervous system carries communication.
- The brain and the spinal cord. These form the central nervous system.
- Cranial nerves and spinal nerves — correct. Yes!
- The fore-brain and the hind-brain. These are regions of the brain, which is part of the central nervous system.