Organisation Of The Nervous System 3 Flashcards
What is a spinal reflex?
It is a rapid, automatic nerve response triggered by specific stimuli. It is controlled by spinal cord alone, not the brain
The spinal cord is about
18 inches (45cm) long and 1/2 inch (14mm) wide
The spinal cord ends between
Vertebrae L1 and L2, the cord itself is not as long as the vertebral column
The bilateral symmetry of the spinal cord:
Grooves divide the spina cord into left and right
One of the grooves that divide the spinal cord is the posterior median sulcus which is
On the posterior side
The other groove that divides the spinal cord is the anterior median fissure which
Is a deeper groove on anterior side
Enlargements of the spinal cord are caused by
Amount of grey matter in segment and involvement with sensory and motor nerves of limbs
There are two types of enlargements of the spinal cord
Cervical enlargement and lumbar enlargement
The cervical enlargement supplies
Nerves to the shoulder and upper limbs
The lumbar enlargement provides
Innervation to structures of the pelvis and lower limbs
The distal end of the spinal cord is composed of
Conus medullaris
Filum terminale
Cauda equina
The conus medullaris is a
Thin, conical spinal cord below lumbar enlargement
The filum terminale is a
Thin thread of fibrous tissue at end of conus medullaris
The filum terminale attaches to
Coccygeal ligament
The cauda equina is
Nerve roots extending below conus medullaris
The spinal cord segments are based on
Vertebrae where spinal nerves originate
The positions of the spinal segment and vertebrae change
With age
Cervical nerves named for
Inferior vertebra
All other nerves named for
Superior vertebra
The roots of the spinal cord are
Two branches of spinal nerves
The two roots are the
Ventral root and the dorsal root
The ventral root
Contains axons of motor neurons
The dorsal root
Contains axons of sensory information
The dorsal root ganglia contains
Cell bodies of sensory neurons
The spinal nerve is
Distal to each dorsal root ganglion, the sensory and motor roots are bound together into a single spinal nerve
Mixed nerves carry both
Afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) fibres
The spinal meninges are
Specialised membranes isolate spinal cord from surroundings
The functions of the spinal meninges include:
Protecting spinal cord against bumps and shocks to the skin of the back
Carrying blood supply
Continuous with cranial meninges, which surround the brain
Meningitis is a
Viral or bacterial infection of meninges
The three meningeal layers are the
Dura mater
Arachnoid mater
Pia mater
The dura mater is the
Outer layer of spinal cord
The arachnoid mater is the
Middle meningeal layer
The pia mater is the
Inner meningeal layer