The Somatic Motor Branch of the Peripheral Nervous System

Question

The somatic motor branch of the peripheral nervous system
A) exits the spinal cord through the dorsal root.
B) regulates heart rate.
C) is the afferent branch of the peripheral nervous system.
D) is an efferent branch of the peripheral nervous system.

Accepted Answer

The somatic motor branch of the peripheral nervous system is responsible for voluntary movement and control of skeletal muscles. It is an efferent branch of the peripheral nervous system, as it carries information from the central nervous system to the peripheral tissues. A is incorrect because the somatic motor neurons exit the spinal cord through the ventral root, not the dorsal root. B is incorrect because heart rate is regulated by the autonomic nervous system, not the somatic motor branch. C is incorrect because the somatic motor branch is an efferent branch, not an afferent branch.