Spinal Cord Flashcards
Dura Mater
Outermost and toughest layer
Surrounded by epidural space, fat filled space
Arachnoid mater
Between the subarachnoid mater and dura mater
pia mater
The pia mater tightly adheres to the spinal cord, but between it and the arachnoid mater is a fluid-filled cavity, the subarachnoid space
subarachnoid space
Filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
provides a protective cushion around the spinal cord and the brain
Between pia mater and arachnoid mater
central canal
a narrow passageway in the spinal cord
allows for the circulation of CSF
Order of spinal cord
Epidural space
Dura Mater
Arachnoid mater
Subarachnoid mater
Pia mater
Where does spinal cord begin?
medulla oblongata of the brain
Where does spinal cord end?
conus medullaris, cone-shaped termination of the spinal cord
Why does the spinal cord does not extend the full length of the vertebral canal in newborns and adults?
Because the vertebral column’s growth outpaces the spinal cord
Filum terminale
This narrow band tethers the spinal cord to the sacrum and coccyx
Extension of pia mater
denticulate ligaments
20 paired lateral extensions of pia mater along the length of the spinal cord
provide further stability for the spinal cord
Cervical enlargement
Lumbar enlargement
Where are spinal Nerves Roots
from the right and left sides of the spinal cord
Where are spinal Nerves Roots
from the right and left sides of the spinal cord
PNS
What are some types of spinal nerves?
cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal spinal nerves
cauda equina
A bundle of conus medullaris, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal spinal nerves pass through the vertebral canal
What are 3 parts of spinal cords?
central canal, the gray matter, and the white matter.
central canal
CSF-filled
runs through the center of the whole spinal cord and connects to the brain’s ventricles
What type of neurons is in white matter?
myelinated axons
What are the things that are found in the White matter?
anterior median fissure.
dorsal, lateral, and ventral columns.
corticospinal tracts (ventral column)
spinothalamic tract (lateral columm)
Functions of corticospinal tracts
largest descending tracts
carry information from the cerebral cortex down to the motor neurons that originate in the spinal cord
spinothalamic tract
ascending tract
its neurons carry pain and temperature signals from the spinal cord upward to the thalamus of the brain.
Where is the corticospinal tracts?
Within the ventral column
Where is the spinothalamic tract?
Within the lateral column