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Peripheral Nervous System Consists of the nerves and the ganglia Nerves Bundles of individual nerve fibers that carry electrical impulses to and from the brain Sensory (afferent) nerves Nerves that carry impulses to the CNS Motor (efferent) nerves Nerves that carry impulses from the CNS Mixed nerves Nerves that contain both sensory and motor fibers Cranial nerves The 12 pairs of nerves that connect with the brain and primarily serve the head and neck Olfactory Nerve that carries impulses for the sense of smell Optic Nerve that carries impulses for vision Vestibulocochlear Nerve that conducts impulses for hearing and balance Vagus Nerve that supplies most organs of the thorax and abdomen Spinal Nerves The 31 pairs of nerves that connect with the spinal cord Dorsal rami Nerves that serve the skin and muscles of the posterior body trunk Ventral rami Spinal nerves T1 through T12 that form the intercostal nerves Intercostal nerves Nerves that supply the muscles between the ribs and the skin and the muscles of the anterior and lateral trunk Plexus Network of intersecting nerves Autonomic nervous system Controls the involuntary actions of cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, and glands Sympathetic nervous system (thoracolumbar) Subdivision of ANS that motivates our response to stress, increasing heart and respiratory rates, stimulating the adrenal gland, and delivering more blood to the skeletal muscles Parasympathetic nervous system Subdivision of the ANS that returns the body to a steady state, maintaining homeostasis when the body is not threatened, and stimulates maintenance activities such as digestion and elimination