Neuropathy Knowledge: What Is The Peripheral Nervous System?

Today's post from sciencedaily.com (see link below) is the fourth part of a series from the same source providing readers with explanations and information about many of the medical terms they hear when researching neuropathy, or sitting in the doctor's surgery and talking about it. Today it explains the 'peripheral nervous system' and gives related definitions of other words associated with its workings in the body. Worth following the links if you have the time.

Peripheral nervous system
Science Daily via Wikipedia

The peripheral nervous system or PNS, is part of the nervous system, and consists of the nerves and neurons that reside or extend outside the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to serve the limbs and organs, for example.

Unlike the central nervous system, however, the PNS is not protected by bone or the blood-brain barrier, leaving it exposed to toxins and mechanical injuries.

The peripheral nervous system is divided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.

For more information about the topic Peripheral nervous system, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:


Spinal cord — The spinal cord is a part of the vertebrate nervous system that is enclosed in and protected by the vertebral column (it passes through the spinal ...  read more


Sympathetic nervous system — The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is part of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which also includes the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The ...  read more


Motor neuron — In vertebrates, motor neurons (also called motoneurons) are efferent neurons that originate in the spinal cord and synapse with muscle fibers to ...  read more


Central nervous system — The central nervous system (CNS) represents the largest part of the nervous system, including the brain and the spinal cord. Together with the ...  read more


Sensory neuron — Sensory neurons are nerve cells within the nervous system responsible for converting external stimuli from the organism's environment into internal ...  read more


Nervous system — The nervous system of an animal coordinates the activity of the muscles, monitors the organs, constructs and also stops input from the senses, and ...  read more


Oculomotor nerve — The oculomotor nerve is the third of twelve paired cranial nerves. It controls most of the eye movements (cranical nerves IV and VI also do some), ...  read more


Nociceptor — A nociceptor is a sensory receptor that sends signals that cause the perception of pain in response to potentially damaging stimulus. Nociceptors are ...  read more


Frog zoology — About 400 million years ago, some members of the sarcopterygian group of fish moved onto land. These became the first amphibians. Today, these ...  read more


Local anesthetic — A local anesthetic is a drug that reversibly inhibits the propagation of signals along nerves. When it is used on specific nerve pathways, effects ...  read more

http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/p/peripheral_nervous_system.htm