What are the two divisions of the Peripheral Nervous System?

Enhance your psychology knowledge with dual enrollment. Utilize multiple choice and flashcards with detailed explanations to master PSY 200. Prepare for excellence in your final exam!

Multiple Choice

What are the two divisions of the Peripheral Nervous System?

The Peripheral Nervous System is organized into two broad divisions: the Somatic Nervous System and the Autonomic Nervous System. The somatic system handles voluntary movement and carries sensory information from the skin, muscles, and joints to the brain and spinal cord, then relays motor commands to skeletal muscles. The autonomic system regulates automatic functions like heart rate, digestion, and breathing, without conscious effort, and it splits into the sympathetic branch (prepares the body for action) and the parasympathetic branch (promotes rest and energy conservation).

The Peripheral Nervous System is organized into two broad divisions: the Somatic Nervous System and the Autonomic Nervous System. The somatic system handles voluntary movement and carries sensory information from the skin, muscles, and joints to the brain and spinal cord, then relays motor commands to skeletal muscles. The autonomic system regulates automatic functions like heart rate, digestion, and breathing, without conscious effort, and it splits into the sympathetic branch (prepares the body for action) and the parasympathetic branch (promotes rest and energy conservation).

More practice questions