Spinal Cord And Somatic Reflexes Flashcards
Sectional anatomy of the nervous system.
Gray matter: neural cell bodies
White matter: axons, tracts
Outside world sensors
Somatic
Inside world sensors
Visceral
Sight, hearing, taste, smell, and equilibrium
Special senses!
Peripheral nervous system
Sensory information to the brain via afferent nerves.
Sensory information goes to?
The CNS, the control center! Where integration takes place!
Peripheral nervous that exit the brain
Motor neurons! Efferent nerves.
Somatic nervous system
PNS that control skeletal muscle
Autonomic nervous system
Sympathetic and parasympathetic. Effectors: smooth muscle, glands, adipose tissue.
Sympathetic
Flight are flight. Sweating.
Parasympathetic
Resting and digesting.
Central nervous system organization
Tracts (white matter)and centers (gray matter) and tracts (white matter).
Centers, integrate information
Decussation
?
Nerves are mostly?
Axons!
Spinal cord function
Conduction of information between sensors, CNS and effectors.
Integration or reflexes
Meninges
- Dura mater
- Arachnoid mater
- Pita mater
Sectional anatomy of the spinal cord.
Gray matter: neural cell bodies.
White matter: tracts (axons)
“Elevator”
Ascending tracts
Sensory! Up!
Neural pathways: first, second and third order neurons.
First order neuron
Afferent
Second order neurons
Interneuron
Third order neuron
Thalamus
Gracile fasciculus
Carries sensation of trunk and movement, deep touch, visceral pain and vibration.
Below T6.
To the thalamus
Cuneate fasciculus
Caries sensation of movement, deep touch, visceral pain, and vibration.
Above T6
To thalamus
Spinothalamic
Carries sensations of light touch, itch, temperatures, pain and pressure.
To thalamus
Spinoreticular
Carries sensations of pain and injury.
Spinocerebellar
Carries information on muscle position. (Proprioception)
Goes to cerebellum
Descending tract organization
Upper neuron: originates in the brain
Lower motor neuron: innervated muscle as part of NMJ
Synapse at grey horns.
Corticospinal
Fine control of limbs.
Tectospinal
Reflexive head movement
Reticulospinal
Balance and posture, regulation of awareness of pain.
Vestibulospinal
Lateral: valence and posture.
Medial: control of head position.
Spinal nerves
Carry sensory input and motor output. PNS!
Location!
Dermatomes
Region of skin innervated by spinal nerves.
Can be used to locate spinal damage.
Reflex arc
Stimulus Sensory neuron activation Integration by interneuron Motor neuron activation Effector response
Reflex properties
Require stimulation
Rapid
Involuntary
Non-variable
Muscle spindles
Proprioceptors:
Give information on muscle position.
Intrafusal fibers
Afferent neurons monitor rate of change (primary) and the length (secondary).
Muscle spinal activity: motor neurons
Alpha: extrafusal fibers
Gamma: intrafusal fibers