13.1 – The Spinal Cord Flashcards
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?
conduction
what are all the regions of the spinal cord?
cervical
thoracic
lumbar
sacral
what is the cauda equina?
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
what is the order of the meninges from superficial to deep?
dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
what are the functions of the spinal cord?
conduction
neural integration
locomotion
reflexes
the matter of the spinal cord that contains the synapses and therefore is the site of the synaptic integration is called ___ matter
gray
what are the regions of the spinal cord?
cervical
thoracic
lumbar
sacral
what is the white matter of the spinal cord?
bundles of myelinated and unmyelinated axons found superficial to the gray matter
what is a bundle of nerve fibers w/in the white matter of the spinal cord called?
tract
the bundle of nerves inferior to the medullary cone of the spinal cord is called the ___
cauda equina
the horns of the spinal cord that contain the cell bodies of outgoing somatic motor neurons are ___ horns
anterior
which are a series of fibrous connective tissue membranes covering the central nervous system?
meninges
what is the gray commissure of the spinal cord?
a band of gray matter connecting the gray matter on the left side with the gray matter on the right side
what is the site of synaptic integration in the spinal cord?
gray matter
the anterior horns of the spinal cord contain the somas of which neurons?
somatic motor
