The ventral root is a bundle of nerve fibers located in the spinal cord. It carries motor signals away from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands in the body. Each spinal nerve has a ventral root that is responsible for transmitting these motor commands, allowing for voluntary movements. In contrast to the ventral root, the dorsal root carries sensory information from the body back to the spinal cord. Together, the ventral and dorsal roots form a spinal nerve, which plays a crucial role in the peripheral nervous system, connecting the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.