Nervous System Overview - Spinal Cord Anatomy Flashcards
The spinal cord runs from the […] to […] in adults.
Brainstem
L2
Spinal nerves exit the spinal cord between […] and […]
C1 and L2
1 - Spinal cord
2 - Cauda Equina
3 - Conus medullaris
4 - Filum terminale
The […] is the most inferior part of the spinal cord and is located at approximately […] in adults
Conus medullaris
L1/L2
Spinal nerves that exit below the conus medullaris are called the […]
Cauda Equina (b/c they look like a horse’s tail)
What is the role of the filum terminale?
It anchors the conus medullaris to the sacrum
The […] is the most internal layer covering the spinal cord.
Pia mater
The […] is the intermediate layer covering the spinal cord.
Arachoid mater
The […] is the most external layer covering the spinal cord.
Dura mater
The […] is the space between the pia and arachnoid mater.
[…] is located in this space.
Subarachnoid space
CSF
The […] is the space between the dura mater and arachnoid mater.
Subdural space
The […] is the space outside the dura mater.
Epidural space
1 - spinal cord
2 - arachnoid mater
3 - subarachnoid space
4 - dura mater
5 - subdural space
6 - anterior rootlets
- Epidural anesthesia and is delivered in the […] at level […]
- Another location where an epidural can be administered is the […]
Epidural space
L3/L4
Sacrum
A lumbar puncture is done in the […] space at level […]. This procedure is to obtain […].
Subarachnoid space
L3/L4
CSF
Why are epidurals and lumbar puncture done at L3/L4?
Becuase the fibers of the cauda equina will move out of the way of needles that are inserted here so there is less risk of doing damage to CNS tissue if done here than higher up in the spine.
Where is the conus medularis in a newborn/infant?
Usually ~ L3
How does height affect the location of a person’s spinal cord anatomy?
A taller person will have their conus medularis more superior compared to an average height adult. Shorter adults will have their conus medularis more inferior copared to an average height adult. This happens b/c cauda equina does not grow at same rate as vertebra during development.
Describe the structure of the nervous system (tree diagram)
How many pairs of cranial nerves are there?
What information do they carry?
12
Somatic sensory, somatic motor, or autonomic (usually parasympathetic) –> can be a single one of these or a mix
- How many spinal nerves are there?
- All […] signals to and from muscles are carried by branches of […] nerves
- Some spinal nerves carry […] or […] also
- 31
- somatic; spinal
- Sympathetic; parasympathetic
Of the 31 spinal nerves, […] are cervical, […] are thoracic, […] are lumbar, […] are sacral and […] is coccygeal
8
12
5
5
1
The brachial plexus consists of spinal nerves between […] and […]
C5 and T1
The intercostal nerves consist of spinal nerves between […] and […]
T1 and T12
The lumbosacral plexus consists of spinal nerves between […] and […]
L2 and S4
- For cranial nerves, C1 - C7 exit the vertebral column […] the vertebral bodies they correspond to and C8 exits […] C7.
- All other spinal nerves exit the vertebral column […] the vertebral bodies they correspond to.
- Above; Below (between C7 and T1)
- Below
Dorsal rami innervate the […] muscles and […] receive names.
Intrinsic back
Do not
Ventral rami innervate […] and […] receive names.
All other muscles
Do
Spinal nerves and rami carry only motor information.
True/False
False - they carry motor information to the muscles they innervate and sensory information from the muscles back to the spinal cord
The ventral horn and root/rootlets carry only […] information.
Motor
The dorsal horn and root/rootlets carry only […] information.
Sensory
