Summary:
- The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of all the nervous tissue that lies outside the central nervous system.
- Nerves of the PNS control basic physical functions such as heart rate, breathing, digestion, and sweat production.
- The PNS has two divisions: the sensory division and the motor division.
- The motor division is further divided into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
- A reflex is a very rapid motor response that is not directed by the brain.
- In a reflex, nerve impulses travel to and from the spinal cord in a reflex arc.