Final answer:
The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) includes the network of nerves outside the Central Nervous System, connecting the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body and facilitating sensory and motor functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Peripheral Nervous System
The part of the nervous system made up of all the nerves that extend from the spinal cord to the muscles and organs is known as the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS).
The PNS serves as a communication network, relaying messages between the Central Nervous System (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the rest of the body.
It is responsible for both sensory and motor functions, allowing us to react to our environment, like when Michelle's nervous system helped her maintain balance when she started to fall off her scooter.
The PNS is divided into two key subdivisions: the somatic nervous system, which controls voluntary movements, and the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions.
Nerves within the PNS are like electrical cables that send signals to and from the brain through the spinal cord, allowing for complex responses and interactions with the external world.