Lesson: Nervous Part 1 - 8.3 Spinal Cord and Meninges

Question 1

“inter” means

Answer 1

“Between”. Examples: intervertebral disks, interneuron

Question 2

Tracts

Answer 2

A bundle of myelinated nerve fibers that travel in the CNS only. Tracts can travel up and down the spinal cord or through various directions in the brain.

Question 3

Cauda Equina

Answer 3

“Cauda Equina” means the horse’s tail. Bundles of nerve fibers that are found after the spinal cord ends.

Question 4

Gray Matter

Answer 4

Gray matter is found in the CNS. Gray matter contains the somas (cell bodies), dendrites and synapses.

Question 5

White matter

Answer 5

White matter is found in the CNS. White matter is made of myelinated tracts made of myelinated axons (nerve fibers).

Question 6

Decussation

Answer 6

Crossing over of spinal tracts, thus the right side of brain controls or senses the left side of the body and vice versa.

Question 7

Dura mater

Answer 7

One of the meninges made from dense fibrous connective tissue, thus it is tough.

Question 8

Arachnoid mater

Answer 8

One of the meninges that contains a loose web of fibers resembling a spider’s web, thus the “arachna” meaning spider is used to name this layer.

Question 9

Pia mater

Answer 9

The innermost meninge that is very thin and transparent.

Question 10

What travels up and down the spinal cord?

Answer 10

Tracts (the ascending and descending)

Question 11

The spinal cord extends from the ______________ of the skull to the level of L1 or L2.

Answer 11

Foramen magnum

Question 12

LOCATION: Where would one find “cauda equina”?

Answer 12

Below where the spinal cord ends at L1 or L2. The cauda equine contains bundles of nerves that will exit throughout the lumbosacral area.

Question 13

LOCATION: Gray matter is found in the ______________ of the spinal cord.

Answer 13

Inner portion

Question 14

White matter is found in the ____________ of the spinal cord.

Answer 14

Outer portion

Question 15

The gray matter in the spinal cord resembles the shape of a _______________.

Answer 15

butterfly

Question 16

Define Dura Mater.

Answer 16

The outermost meninge of the brain and spinal cord. It is a tough collagenous membrane.

Question 17

The spinal cord extends from the foramen magnum of the skull to the level of ____________.

Answer 17

The first or second lumbar vertebrae (L1 or L2)

Question 18

The middle layer of the meninges is called the ____________.

Answer 18

Arachnoid mater

Question 19

The innermost meninge is called the _________.

Answer 19

Pia mater

Question 20

Where are the somas (cell bodies) of motor neurons found?

Answer 20

In the ventral (anterior) horns of the spinal cord.

Question 21

Where are the cell bodies (somas) of interneurons found?

Answer 21

In the dorsal (posterior) horns of the spinal cord.

Question 22

The anterior (ventral) and posterior (dorsal)horns of the spinal cord are made of _________ matter

Answer 22

Grey

Question 23

Where does the spinal cord end?

Answer 23

Below L2, typically at L3-L4.

Question 24

What meninge lies the closest to the cranium bones in the skull?

Answer 24

The dura mater lies against the inner surface of the cranial bones.

Question 25

Which meninge is spider-web like?

Answer 25

Arachnoid mater

Question 26

The arachnoid mater is located between the ___________ and ________________.

Answer 26

The arachnoid mater is located between the pia mater and the arachnoid layer.

Question 27

Which meninge is very thin and “hugs” the brain and spinal cord?

Answer 27

The pia mater tightly clings to the surfaces of the brain and spinal cord.

Question 28

The anterior and posterior horns are grey matter found in the _________________.

Answer 28

Inner portion of the spinal cord.

Question 29

Name the loose connective tissue that wraps every nerve fiber (axon).

Answer 29

The endoneurium

Question 30

Name the layer that wraps the fascicles (groups of nerve fibers).

Answer 30

The perineurium

Question 31

Name the fibrous connective tissue layer that wraps the entire nerve.

Answer 31

The epineurium surrounds all of the faciscles together.

Question 32

What is the purpose of the three connective tissues that surround the nerve and its inner structures?

Answer 32

The epineurium, perineurium and endoneurium all are important in enclosing blood vessels within them to ensure a blood supply for the nerve fibers.

Question 33

The dorsal root ganglion is a swelling in the end of a nerve that contains the _______________ of the sensory neurons.

Answer 33

Cell bodies (soma)