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The peripheral nervous system consists of the spinal cord, nerves and the ganglia, which are located outside of the cranium. It is also responsible for all nervous activity outside of the cranium. The most important component of the peripheral nervous system is the spinal cord. The main purpose of the peripheral nervous system is to receive sensory information, and relay the information to the central nervous system. also relays motor information to the body.
The peripheral nervous system may be subdivided into two categories; the sensory and motor divisions. The sensory aspect consists of relaying sense information from organs to the brain. The motor aspect of the peripheral nervous system's job is to transmit impulses from the central nervous system to the rest of the human body.
The nervous tissue is the compilation of cells which make up the nervous system. It consists of supporting cells and neurons, or nerve cells. The supporting cells are also known as Neuroglia. The Neuroglia is a myriad of cells which support and insulate the neurons. There are two main characteristics of Neuroglia which differ from neurons. First, Neuroglia do not have the ability to transmit or receive nerve impulses. Second, Neuroglia never lose the ability to divide.
Fur common types of Nueroglia are found throughout the body; Astrocytes, Microglia, Ependymal Cells, and Oiloderndrocytes. The Astrocytes consists over half of the neural tissue in the body. The Astrocytes also form a barrier between capillaries and neurons. The Astrocytes are also responsible for chemical controls in the cerebrum. Microglia are the phagocytes which are responsible for the disposal of wastes that are contained in the nervous system. The Ependymal Cells are located in the chambers of the nervous system which houses the cerebrospinal fluid. The Ependymal Cells contain cilia which continually beat, in order to keep the cerebrospinal fluid constantly circulating. The Ependymal cells also cushion the central nervous system. The Oiloderndrocytes are responsible for rapping long processes around nerve fibers. These processes are known as myelinal sheaths. The Oiloderndrocytes also aid in the protection of the axon.