The peripheral nervous system includes which nerves?

• A. Somatic, Autonomic, and Enteric nerves in the periphery
• B. Brain and spinal cord
• C. Cranial nerves only
• D. Spinal nerves only

Answer: (A)

The peripheral nervous system comprises all neural structures outside the brain and spinal cord, including the nerves and ganglia that carry information to and from the central nervous system. It has three main functional components: somatic nerves that control voluntary movements and convey sensory information from the body; autonomic nerves that regulate involuntary functions via sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways; and the enteric nervous system, a large network within the GI tract that can function largely independently but interacts with the CNS. Because the periphery includes somatic, autonomic, and enteric nerves, this description best matches what the PNS encompasses. The brain and spinal cord are part of the central nervous system, not the periphery. Cranial nerves are indeed part of the PNS, but there are also spinal nerves and peripheral autonomic/enteric networks, so a choice that lists cranial nerves only or spinal nerves only would be incomplete.