Spinal Cord Anatomy and Organization Flashcards
spinal cord length
foramen magnum to L2
general function of spinal cord
sensory processory-primary afferents enter spinal cord-local - for simple reflexes (w/in level and side)-ascending tracts
motor neurons
efferentsLMN’s - cell bodies in ventral horn
axons for motor neurons
go to periphery
ventral horn cells
location of lower motor neurons”final common pathway
descending tracts
axons of upper motor neuronsfrom brainstem and cerebral cortex
segmentation of spinal cord
based on vertebrae8 cervical12 thoracic5 lumbar5 sacral1-3 coccygeal
conus medullaris
around L2end of spinal cord
each segment of spinal cord
gives rise to pair of spinal nerve-each has axons of dorsal root and anterior root
spinal cord segment = ?
gives rise to 1 pair of spinal nerves
dorsal root
has dorsal root ganglion
each segment ?
innervates a dermatome
2 enlargements of spinal cord
due to increased number of neurons-associated with limbscervical enlargement - brachial plexuslumbar enlargement - lumbosacral plexus
cervical enlargement
brachial plexus
lumbar enlargement
lumbosacral plexus
gray matter
inner - butterfly shape-has cell bodies
white matter
outerhas cell processes (myelin)
clinical orientation
looking up from feet as patient lies on back
blood supply to spinal cord
differences will lead to different lesions depending on location of occlusion
sacral cross section
roundmostly grayvery little white
lumbosacral enlargement cross section
enlarged ventral horns - motor to lower limbround shapelittle white matter
thoracic cross section
very little gray matter - not a lot of musculaturelots of white matter - lots of somatosensationlateral horn - first presencedorsal nucleus of clarke - central portion of gray
lateral horn
T1-L2 - preganglionic sympathetic cell bodiesaka IMLCC
dorsal nucleus of clarke
center of gray matter - thoracic cross sectionproprioception to cerebellum