Briefly describe the peripheral nervous system and its four divisions. What is the function of each? Give examples of situations that would activate each division and how they would do so.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is the network of nerves that connects the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body. The two major divisions of the PNS are the somatic and autonomic divisions. The somatic nervous system consists of sensory nerves (afferent), whose function is to convey information from the skin and muscles to the CNS about conditions such as pain and temperature, and motor nerves (efferent), whose function is to tell muscles what to do. The function of the autonomic nervous system is to take messages to and from the body's internal organs, monitoring such processes as breathing, heart rate, and digestion. The autonomic division is further subdivided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions, and these subdivisions are most noticeable during emergencies. The sympathetic division prepares the body for emergencies and helps us to either fight stressors or to flee from them. If you were inside a burning house, for example, the sympathetic division would produce the necessary arousal that would allow you to either run out of the house to safety, or to find a fire extinguisher to help battle the blaze. The parasympathetic division restores the body to its resting state once an emergency has ended. Once it is clear that your house was not on fire, your breathing and heart rate return to normal, and you eventually feel a sense of calm.