The efferent division of the peripheral nervous system carries out the motor commands that are sent from the central nervous system. These commands or signals are then sent directly through the nerve fibers of the peripheral nervous system to the target organs where they will then be signaled to perform the desired action (Martini, Nath, & Bartholomew, 380).
The peripheral nervous system can be further broken down as being a part of the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system (Martini, Nath, & Bartholomew, 375). The efferent division works in both of these systems as they are only possible through the motor commands sent from the central nervous system. The somatic nervous system controls voluntary movement. The signals innervate skeletal muscles that a person can consciously control (Martini, Nath, & Bartholomew, 376). A reflex is also controlled by the peripheral nervous system and the somatic nervous system. When an individual's hand accidentally touches a hot surface, the first instinct is to withdraw the hand; this is possible because of the somatic and peripheral nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is what is commonly called the "fight or flight" system. It is made up of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions and are not a part of an individual's control (Martini, Nath, & Bartholomew, 375). These involuntary movements include the regulation of the smooth muscle tissue that surrounds the majority of a person's organ systems and blood vessels, the cardiac muscle around the heart, and secretions from glands (Martini, Nath, & Bartholomew,...
One would not be able to function properly without the other; together, they form what it means to be human. The central nervous system only functions the way that it is supposed to because it receives the signals from the peripheral nervous system. Without these signals or without receiving the appropriate sensory information, the central nervous system would not know what to do. With this point being said, this also works the other way around. If the central nervous system is unable to adequately deliver the signal to the peripheral nervous system in order to initiate a motor command, then the peripheral effectors would have no idea what to do (Martini, Nath, & Bartholomew, 375). The innervation of skeletal muscles is imperative to do anything from walking to talking to performing everyday routine activities. Without the motor commands from the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system would never be able to innervate the body's organs and tissues (Martini, Nath, & Bartholomew, 375). This would cause great distress as most bodily functions would be unable to perform their specific duties to keep the body alive. Any miscommunication between the two systems would also be a predecessor to death or complete loss of bodily functions. The interrelated features of both the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system, allow people to live.
