Neuroanatomy: Spinal Cord Gray and White Matter

Question 1

Describe the basic plan of spinal cord gray matter

Answer 1

Sensory relay starts in peripheral process, through spinal nerves, into dorsal root ganglia (where all primary sensory neurons are located in the cell body), through the dorsal root, into the dorsal rootlets and into the dorsal horn.

Question 2

Is the white/gray matter same throughout the entire length of the spinal cord?

Answer 2

the dorsal horn remains mostly the same throughout spinal cord. Ventral horn has 2 enlargements in cervical and lumbar regions

Question 3

What types of sensation synapse in the dorsal horn?

Answer 3

Somatic sensory

Question 4

What types of sensation synapse in the intermediate zone?

Answer 4

Visceral sensory

Question 5

What types of motor neurons are found in the intermediate zone?

Answer 5

visceral motor

Question 6

What types of motor neurons are found in the ventral horn?

Answer 6

Somatic motor

Question 7

What is a fasciculus?

Answer 7

bundles of nerves that are going to similar areas that are within certain columns of the white matter. These columns are the dorsal, lateral, and ventral columns (or funiculi)

Question 8

How are tracts within the spinal cord named?

Answer 8

named for origin and destination