Final answer:
Spinal nerves, specifically the dorsal and ventral roots, are responsible for distributing cutaneous innervation. The dorsal root carries sensory information from the skin and other peripheral sensory surfaces into the spinal cord, while the ventral root sends action potentials to skeletal muscles to cause contraction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Spinal nerves play a crucial role in distributing cutaneous innervation. The dorsal root of the spinal nerve contains the axons of sensory neurons, which carry sensory information from the skin and other peripheral sensory surfaces into the spinal cord. In contrast, the ventral root of the spinal nerve contains the axons of motor neurons, which send action potentials to skeletal muscles and cause them to contract in their target regions.