The cranial nerves, the spinal nerves, and the autonomic nervous system make up which system?

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The correct choice is the peripheral nervous system, as it encompasses all the nerves outside of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. Specifically, the peripheral nervous system is divided into the somatic nervous system, which controls voluntary movements, and the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary bodily functions. The cranial nerves and spinal nerves facilitate communication between the central nervous system and the rest of the body, playing critical roles in sensory and motor functions. The inclusion of the autonomic nervous system, which governs internal processes such as heart rate and digestion, further solidifies the classification of these components as part of the peripheral nervous system.

In contrast, the central nervous system is limited to the brain and spinal cord, while options related to the digestive and skeletal systems pertain to completely different physiological systems and have no direct relation to the functions of the cranial and spinal nerves or the autonomic nervous system. Understanding this distinction is key to grasping the broader organization of the nervous system in human anatomy and physiology.

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