Lab 2: Spinal Cord and Brainstem Flashcards
Where is the dura mater in the spinal cord?
Separated from bone by loose connective tissue and surrounds spinal cord
Where does the spinal cord extend to in adults?
L2
Where does the dural sac and arachnoid extend to in adults?
S2
What is denticulate ligament consist of?
What do they do?
Pia Mater
Lateral Stabilizers of spinal cord
What parts of the spinal cord tend to be larger?
Cervical and Lumbar areas
Why are there cervical and lumbar enlargements?
Increased input and output to upper and lower limbs respectively
Where do ventral (motor) roots emerge from on the spinal cord?
Anterolateral Sulcus
Where do dorsal (sensosry) roots emerge from on the spinal cord?
Posterolateral Sulcus
Where do root filaments that form spinal accessory nerve emerge from?
Lateral aspect of upper cervical cord
Where are posterior and anterior funiculus found?
White matter between respective horns
How many anterior and posterior spinal arteries are there?
1 Anterior Spinal Artery
2 Posterion Spinal Arteries (paired)
Where does the anterior spinal artery arise from?
Vertebral Artery
Where does the posterior spinal artery arise from?
Vertebral Artery or Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery
What does the anterior spinal artery supply?
Ventral and most of Lateral Funiculus
Anterior portion of gray matter
Nervous tissue via sulcal arteries
What does the posterior spinal artery supply?
Doral and posterior part of Lateral Funiculus
Posterior portion of gray matter
Where can blood supply to the spinal cord be easily compromised? Why?
T1-T4 and L1 because it is an area of transition where blood is derived from two sources
Where do the posterior and anterior spinal veins drain into?
Drained by radicular veins that empty into venous plexus in epidural space –> external vertebral plexus
Why is there less white matter in lower levels of spinal cord?
Lower levels contain less ascending and descending nerve fibers
Dorsal horn nuclei are for?
Sensory
Intermediolateral Cell Column are for?
Auntomic (smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, sweat glands)
Ventral horn nuclei are for?
Motor (skeletal muscle)
Where will you find pyramids?
Anterior and medial aspect of superior portion of medulla
What is the function of pyramids?
Controls skeletal muscle
What structures are lateral to pyramids?
Olive and Trigeminal Eminence
What is the significance of the sulcus limitans?
Motor nuclei are medial to it and sensory nuclei are lateral
