13.1 – The Spinal Cord

Question 1

the spinal cord contains ascending and descending nerve fibers that send information between the CNS and the periphery. This illustrates which function of the spinal cord?

Answer 1

conduction

Question 2

what are all the regions of the spinal cord?

Answer 2

cervical
thoracic
lumbar
sacral

Question 3

what is the cauda equina?

Answer 3

resembles a horse’s tail
innervates the pelvic organs and lower limbs

a bundle of nerve roots occupying the vertebral canal from L2 to S5

Question 4

what is the order of the meninges from superficial to deep?

Answer 4

dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater

Question 5

what are the functions of the spinal cord?

Answer 5

conduction
neural integration
locomotion
reflexes

Question 6

the matter of the spinal cord that contains the synapses and therefore is the site of the synaptic integration is called ___ matter

Answer 6

gray

Question 7

what are the regions of the spinal cord?

Answer 7

cervical
thoracic
lumbar
sacral

Question 8

what is the white matter of the spinal cord?

Answer 8

bundles of myelinated and unmyelinated axons found superficial to the gray matter

Question 9

what is a bundle of nerve fibers w/in the white matter of the spinal cord called?

Answer 9

tract

Question 10

the bundle of nerves inferior to the medullary cone of the spinal cord is called the ___

Answer 10

cauda equina

Question 11

the horns of the spinal cord that contain the cell bodies of outgoing somatic motor neurons are ___ horns

Answer 11

anterior

Question 12

which are a series of fibrous connective tissue membranes covering the central nervous system?

Answer 12

meninges

Question 13

what is the gray commissure of the spinal cord?

Answer 13

a band of gray matter connecting the gray matter on the left side with the gray matter on the right side

Question 14

what is the site of synaptic integration in the spinal cord?

Answer 14

gray matter

Question 15

the anterior horns of the spinal cord contain the somas of which neurons?

Answer 15

somatic motor

Question 16

the matter that is composed of myelinated and unmyelinated axons and is superficial to the gray matter of the spinal cord is called ___ matter

Answer 16

white

Question 17

a ___ is a tract of nerve fibers within a column of the spinal cord

Answer 17

fasciculus

Question 18

in the CNS, bundles of axons that make up white matter are called ___

Answer 18

tracts

Question 19

within the spinal cord, which tracts carry information up to the brain?

Answer 19

ascending

Question 20

which spinal cord areas are composed of gray matter?

Answer 20

gray commissure
anterior horn
posterior horn

Question 21

which pathways are made up of 3 neurons?

Answer 21

sensory

Question 22

left and right sides of the gray matter in the spinal cord are connected by the gray ___

Answer 22

commissure