Peripheral nervous system

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/peripheral-nervous-system

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the autonomic nervous system subdivisions?Includes the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) branches
2. How does the peripheral nervous system help us move and feel?It sends messages from the brain to muscles so we can move, and it brings messages from our body back to the brain so we can feel touch, pain, and temperature. This lets us react quickly and keep balance.
3. What are the two parts of the peripheral nervous system?It has the somatic nervous system, which controls voluntary movements and senses, and the autonomic nervous system, which runs things like heart rate and digestion without us thinking about them.

Afferent Neurons: Neurons that transmit sensory information from receptors towards the central nervous system.
Efferent Neurons: Neurons that transmit motor commands from the central nervous system to effectors.
Peripheral Neuropathy: Damage to nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, often causing pain, weakness, and numbness.