How do central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system work together to control the body?

The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system includes all of the nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord and extend to other parts of the body including muscles and organs. Each part of the system plays a vital role in how information is communicated throughout the body.

The primary role of the PNS is to connect the CNS to the organs, limbs, and skin. These nerves extend from the central nervous system to the outermost areas of the body.

In conjunction with the central nervous system (CNS), the PNS coordinates action and responses by sending signals from one part of the body to another.

The general flow of information is that the peripheral nervous system (PNS) takes in information through sensory neurons, then sends it to the central nervous system (CNS) to be processed. After processing, the CNS “tells” the PNS what to do—what muscles to flex, whether the lungs need more oxygen, which limbs need more blood, any number of biological processes—and the PNS makes it happen through muscle control. The neurons responsible for taking information to the CNS are known as afferent neurons, while the neurons that carry the responses from the CNS to the PNS are known as efferent neurons.