The nervous system is divided into two main parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). These two divisions are located in different parts of the body. The central nervous system is at the center of the body. It includes the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system includes the nerves that branch away from the central nervous system. “Peripheral” means located on the edge or outer boundary of something. Many things your body does require both the central and peripheral nervous systems. For example, in the song, when a bug landed on the girl’s arm, neurons in the arm (the peripheral nervous system) carried a message to the spinal cord, which sent it onto the brain (the central nervous system). The brain processed the information and determined it was a bug. Then, the brain sent a message back to the spinal cord and onto the peripheral nervous system to make the girl’s muscles move.
The peripheral nervous system
A
acts with the central nervous system to coordinate many responses.
B
includes the brain and spinal cord.
C
is located at the center of the body.
D
only interacts with the central nervous system while a person is asleep.