01 / Location & anatomical relationships
Branching through your head, torso and limbs.
02 / Structure & organization
Peripheral nerves contain bundles of axons surrounded by connective-tissue layers called endoneurium, perineurium and epineurium. Some axons are myelinated by Schwann cells, supporting faster conduction. A nerve may carry sensory, motor and autonomic fibers.
03 / Function
Some signals bring information from your senses; others tell muscles to move.
04 / Mechanism
A nerve is a bundle of long cell fibers wrapped in supporting tissue. Sensory fibers carry information inward, while motor fibers carry instructions outward. Signals travel electrically along fibers and often cross between cells using chemical messengers.
Working together: nervous system
When you reach for a ball, your eyes send information to your brain. Your brain sends instructions through nerves to the muscles in your arm.
Meet this body system →FOR DEEPER STUDY
Connect structure with function
A nerve is not a single neuron. Distinguish peripheral nerves from central nervous-system tracts, which are bundles of axons within the brain or spinal cord.
Check your understanding
Locate the nerve in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Further reading: NINDS: Know Your Brain.
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.