Ace the NAADAC Exam 2026 – Unlock Your Path to Addiction Counseling Brilliance!

The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord, playing a critical role in controlling and coordinating the body's activities. It serves as the main hub for processing information by receiving sensory inputs, analyzing them, and sending out responses. The brain is responsible for higher cognitive functions, emotions, and behavior, whereas the spinal cord acts as a communication pathway between the brain and the rest of the body, enabling reflexes and motor functions.

The peripheral nervous system, in contrast, includes all the nerves outside of the central nervous system and is involved in transmitting sensory and motor signals to and from the central nervous system. The autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary bodily functions, is a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system. It is further divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The parasympathetic nervous system specifically controls functions related to rest and digest activities, but it does not include the brain and spinal cord. Therefore, the only correct answer that describes the system made up of the brain and spinal cord is the central nervous system.