(Ch.13) Lesson 17: The spinal cord & spinal nerves Flashcards
How many spinal cord segments are there?
31 spinal cord segments
Where are spinal cords based?
Based on vertebrae where spinal nerves originate.
Do the positions of the spinal & vertebrae segments change?
Yes, they change w/ age
Why do the vertebrae & spinal segments change as you age?
As you age the vertebral column grows & ventral roots elongate.
How are cervical roots named?
They are named for the vertebra inferior to it
* The spinal nerve exits above the vertebrae it is named after
* All other nerves are named after their superior vertebra.
What are the 2 roots/branches of the spinal nerves?
- Ventral
- Dorsal
Ventral =
Axons of motor neurons
*Somatic and visceral effectors
Dorsal =
Axons of sensory neurons
Where is there spinal nerve located?
Found @ each side of the spine
1. Dorsal and ventral roots joins
2. Spinal nerve formed.
Dorsal roots + ventral roots =
Formation of spinal nerve
What do mixed nerves carry?
Carry afferent and efferent sensory fibers
What do mixed nerves carry?
Axons from ventral & dorsal roots
Explain what the spinal meninges specialize in.
Membranes the isolate spinal cord from the surroundings
What do the spinal meninges interact with?
Interact with the cranial meninges
What are the functions of the spinal meninges?
- Protecting the spinal cord
- Carrying blood to epidural & subarachnoid space
Explain what is meningitis
- Viral or bacterial meningitis
- Spinal meningitis or cerebral meningitis could disrupt CSF flow, damage or kill neurons & neuroglia
How does meningitis impact the body @ later stages?
Later stages of meningitis affect the entire meningeal system.
What are the 3 meningeal layers (in order of inner-outer)?
- Dura
- Arachnoid
- Pia
What are the physical characteristics of Dura mater?
- Tough & fibrous
- Cranially…
-Fuses w/ periosteum of occipital bone
-Continuous w/ dura mater - Caudally…
-Tapers w/ dense collagen fibers
- Joins filum terminal in coccygeal ligaments
Which space is located within the dura mater?
The epidural space
What is the epidural space?
The space between spinal dura mater and walls of vertebral canal/foramen
What type of tissue does the epidural tissue contain?
Contains loose connective tissue and adipose tissue
The epidural is which kind of site?
Anesthetic injection site
What is an epidural block?
Temporary sensory loss and possibly motor paralysis (mostly just sensory loss)
-Used at the inferior lumbar/sacral region for pain control during childbirth
- Only affects spinal nerves of the immediate area.
What layer is the arachnoid matter?
- Middle meningeal layer
- Arachanoid membrane
Which type of tissue layers the outer surface of the arachnoid matter?
Simple squamous epithelia
What are the interlayer spaces of arachnoid matter?
- Subdural space
- Subarachnoid space 0
An example/ of gray matter location controlling the body movement controlled
Cervical enlargement, from medial to lateral, somatic motor nuclei in the anterior horn control pectoral girdle, muscles of arm, forearm, hand, and fingers
Where is the subdural space located?
Between the arachnoid & dura mater
Where is the subarachnoid layer located?
Between the pia & the arachnoid mate.
List the physical characteristics that make up the subarachnoid layer.
- Contains collage/elastic fiber network (Arachnoid trabeculae)
- Filled with CSF
- Dorsal & ventral roots of cauda equina are located in subarachnoid space.
Within the meningeal layer where is the pia layer located?
The innermost layer
Describe the physical characteristics that make up the pia layer.
- Mesh of collagen & elastic fibers
- Bound to underlying neural tissue
- Blood vessels serving the spinal cord run along the surface of spinal pia matter within subarachnoid
What are the denticulate layers
Bilateral triangular lateral extensions of the pia mater anchor the spinal cord to the dura mater.
What are pair denticulate layers?
- Approximately 20-21 pairs
- Found on each side of the spinal cord
- Extend from pia mater to dura
- Stabilize lateral movement.
(Structure of spinal cord):
Blood vessels
- Found along the surface of spinal pia material
- Within subarachnoid space.
The sectional anatomy of the spinal cord consists of?
- White matter
- Gray matter
Characteristics of white matter?
- Superficial
- Contains myelinated & myelinated axons
Characteristics of gray matter
- Surround the central canal of the spinal canal
- Contains neurons cell bodies, neuroglia, unmyelinated axons
- Has projections (gray horns)
What does the organization of gray matter consist of?
- Gray horns
- Gray commissures
- Cell bodies of neurons form function groups called nuclei
- Sensory & location.
(Gray matter organization)
Different gray horns
- Posterior gray horn
- Anterior gray horn
- Lateral gray horn
(Gray matter organization):
Gray commissures (ant. & post.)
Axons that cross one side to the other side before reaching gray matter.
(Grey matter organzaion)
Cell bodies of neurons form function groups called nuclei, what are the different types of nuclei?
- Motor nuclei
- Sensory nuclei
(Gray matter organization)
Sensory & location
The sensory-motor nucleus’s location within gray matter determines which body part it controls.
(Grey matter)
What is the difference between motor and sensory nuclei?
Sensory:
1. Dorsal
2. Connects to peripheral receptor
Motor:
1. Ventral
2. Connect to peripheral effectors