13.1 Flashcards
Conduction
Nerve fibers conduct sensory and motor information between up and down spinal cord
Neural integration
Spinal neurons receive and integrates inputs from various sources allowing for complex responses such as bladder control and reflex actions
Locomotion
The spinal cord contains central pattern generators
-Groups of neurons that coordinate repetitive movements necessary for walking
Reflexes
Spinal cord is responsible for involuntary reflex actions that are crucial for maintaining posture, coordination and protection from injury
Protection
Spinal cord plays a vital role in reflex arcs, which are automatic responses to stimuli that help protect the body from harm
Communication
Spinal cord facilitates communication between the brain and PNS
Gross structure of spinal cord
Cylinder structure that extends from brain stem at foramen magnum and occupies the upper two thirds of the vertebral canal
~1.8cm in thickness
~45cm in length
Regions of spinal cord
Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Sacral
Meninges of spinal cord
Dura mater
Arachnoid mater
Pia mater
-separates from vertebrae and contains CSF
Spinal cord gray matter
Neuron cell bodies with little myelin
Site of information processing and synaptic integration
Spinal cord white matter
Composed of myelinated axons that facilitate communication between different parts of CNS
Ascending tracts
Carry sensory information from body to brain
Descending tracts
Transmits motor commands from brain to body Includes pathways
Decussation
Many tracts that cross over the opposite side of the body
Poliomyelitis
Destroys motor neurons in the spinal cord leading muscle weakness paralysis and atrophy
