Spinal Cord Flashcards
What are the two branches of the nervous system?
Central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS)
What is the medical term for cervical and lumbar enlargements in the spinal cord?
Lumbar and cervical cistern
What is the CNS made up of?
Brain and spinal cord
What is the PNS made up of?
Cranial nerves and spinal nerves
How many cranial nerves are there?
12
How many spinal nerves are there?
31
What are the divisions of the sensory part of the nervous system?
Somatic and visceral sensory divisions
What are the divisions of the motor part of the nervous system?
Autonomic (involuntary) and somatic (voluntary) motor divisions
What is the segmental innervation of the brachial plexus?
C5-T1
What are the three layer of the meninges?
Superficial to deep: Pia mater, arachnoid mater, dura mater
What is the segmental innervation of the lumbosacral plexus?
L1-S5
What are the three cells associated with the nervous system?
Neuroglia, schwann cells, neurons
What is the function of schwann cells?
Produces myelin protein for myelinated axons
What is the structural and functional unit of the nervous system?
Neuron
Do dendrites carry impulses to or away from the neuron cell body?
To
Do axons carry impulses to or away from the neuron cell body?
Away
What is a synapse?
The point at which one neuron communicates with one or more neurons
What is the length of the spinal cord?
Medulla to L1 or L2
What is the segmental portion of the cervical enlargement?
C4-T1
What is the segmental portion of the lumbosacral enlargement?
L1-S3
What is the filum terminale?
Anchors the dural sac to the coccyx
Where does the CSF sit?
Underneath the arachnoid mater in the subarachnoid space
What is a denticulate ligament?
Sheet of pia mater that anchors the spinal cord to the dural sac
What are the three layers of the connective tissue coverings?
Epineurium, perineurium, and endoneurium
How many arteries are associated with the spinal cord?
1 anterior spinal artery and 2 posterior spinal arteries
How many veins are associated with the spinal cord?
3 anterior spinal veins and 3 posterior spinal veins
How many medullary and radicular veins drain the spinal veins?
12
What is in the gray matter (nucleus)?
Nerve cell bodies
What is in the white matter (tracts)?
Axons
What is the visual ending of the spinal cord?
Dural sac
What area of the vertebral column has the smallest amount of gray matter?
Thoracic
What area of the vertebral column has the largest amount of gray mater?
Lumbar
What information does the dorsal (posterior) nerve root carry?
Sensory
What information does the ventral (anterior) nerve root carry?
Motor
Where do the dorsal and ventral roots run?
Subarachnoid space covered in pia mater
What is the only region that has cauda equina?
Lumbar
Where can you see lateral horns?
Autonomic nervous system
What do the afferent nerve roots carry?
Sensory
What do the efferent nerve roots carry?
Motor
What is the endoneurium?
A delicate connective tissue sheath that surrounds the neurolemma cells and axons
What is the perineurium?
A layer of dense connective tissue that encloses a fascicle (bundle) of peripheral nerve fibers
What is the epineurium?
A thick connective tissue sheath that surrounds and encloses a bundle of fascicles
What is the cauda equina?
Bundle of spinal nerve roots running through the lumbar cistern
