Which nerves carry messages from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and other body parts?

• A. Sensory nerves
• B. Interneurons
• C. Peripheral nerves
• D. Motor nerves

Answer: (D)

Messages from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and other body parts are carried by motor nerves. These nerves transmit signals that travel away from the central nervous system to evoke actions like muscle contraction or gland activity, making them the pathways responsible for initiating movement and responses.

Sensory nerves do the opposite: they carry information from receptors in the body back toward the brain and spinal cord. Interneurons reside within the central nervous system and help process and connect signals; they don’t send commands to muscles. Peripheral nerves are bundles outside the CNS that include both motor and sensory fibers, but they aren’t limited to transmitting commands to effectors.