Peripheral Nervous System

Definition

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is the part of the nervous system that consists of the nerves and ganglia outside of the brain and spinal cord.

Analogy

Think of your body as a city. Your brain is city hall, where all decisions are made. The peripheral nervous system would be like the roads and highways that connect different parts of the city to city hall. It carries messages from your brain (city hall) to other parts of your body (the rest of the city).

Related terms

Somatic Nervous System: This is a component of the PNS associated with voluntary control over body movements via skeletal muscles.

Autonomic Nervous System: Another component of PNS, it controls involuntary actions such as heartbeat or digestion.

Ganglia: These are nerve cell clusters or structures located in the PNS that transmit sensory and motor signals to/from central nervous system.