Which system connects the outer parts of the body to the central nervous system?

• A. Peripheral nervous system
• B. Central nervous system
• C. Autonomic nervous system
• D. Somatic nervous system

Answer: (A)

The peripheral nervous system is the link between the body’s outer parts and the central nervous system. It includes all nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, carrying sensory information from skin, muscles, and organs to the CNS and conveying motor commands from the CNS out to muscles and glands. This network enables you to feel touch, temperature, and pain, and to move your limbs.

The central nervous system is the brain and spinal cord where processing happens, not the conduit that connects the body to the CNS. The autonomic and somatic nervous systems are subdivisions within the peripheral nervous system—autonomic handles involuntary functions like heart rate and digestion, while somatic handles voluntary movement and conscious sensation. Because the question describes the system that directly connects outer body parts to the CNS, the peripheral nervous system is the best choice.