the division of the nervous system consisting of all of the nerves located outside the central nervous system brain The part of the central nervous system that is located in the skull and controls most functions in the body spinal cord the thick column of nerve tissue that links the brain to most of the nerves in the peripheral nervous system cerebrum the part of the brain that interprets input from the senses, controls the movement of skeletal muscles, and carries out complex mental processes cerebellum the part of the brain that coordinates the actions of the muscles and helps maintain balance