IMAT Biology Practice Exam

The peripheral nervous system consists of all nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body. This means it contains sensory neurons that carry information from receptors to the CNS and motor neurons that carry commands from the CNS to muscles and glands. That description aligns with the statement that the peripheral nervous system includes the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body. The brain and spinal cord themselves are part of the central nervous system, not the peripheral. The PNS also includes both somatic pathways (voluntary movement) and autonomic pathways (involuntary functions), and it extends beyond the skull to reach limbs and organs, not remaining entirely within the head.