Which system consists of nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord?

The correct answer is the Peripheral Nervous System. This system is crucial because it includes all the nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord and extend to the rest of the body. It acts as a communication relay between the Central Nervous System, which consists of the brain and spinal cord, and the limbs and organs.

The Peripheral Nervous System is divided into two main parts: the somatic nervous system, which controls voluntary movements and transmits sensory information to the Central Nervous System, and the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary bodily functions like heart rate and digestion. While the autonomic and somatic nervous systems are components of the Peripheral Nervous System, they do not encompass the entirety of it. The overarching structure that includes all peripheral nerves is specifically the Peripheral Nervous System itself, which brings together all these functions and connections beyond the brain and spinal cord.