Pediatric Neurology and Neurosurgery

Peripheral Nervous System

Apart from the CNS, all the other nervous system structures like nerves and ganglia which do not lie within the CNS, comes under the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). The main function of the PNS is to connect the CNS to the rest of the body, i.e. the limbs and organs and act as a relaying partner for communication to go back and forth from the brain and the spinal cord to the other parts of the body. The PNS is divided into Somatic and Autonomic Nervous Systems. As we know, the CNS is protected by the bone of spine and skull or by the blood-brain barrier but the PNS remains unprotected in the body and exposed to toxins and mechanical injuries.