The Brain's Highway

The Brain's Highway

Conference Room D

The peripheral nerves, which are made out of fibers or bundles of axons, include all the nerves beyond the brain and the spinal cord. They start from the edges of the central nerves, or spinal cord, and extend outwards to the periphery of the body. The peripheral nerves’ main function is to carry information from the central nervous system to the muscles and important organs and then relay the sensory information back to the brain. There are three types of nerves in the peripheral nervous system, and the first to be introduced would be the sensory nerves, also known as afferent nerves. These sensory neurons carry information about the visual environment from the eyes and to the brain. Another type of peripheral nerves is the motor nerves, also called the efferent nerves. These efferent nerves contain special axons of motor neurons to help control glands and muscles. The third type of peripheral nerves is the autonomic nerves that regulate the internal organs such as heart, intestines, and stomach.

Keywords: [peripheral nerves, neurons, autonomic, afferent, motor nerves]