Spinal cord: spinal nerves Flashcards
white matter
myelinated fibers
gray matter
cell bodies and unmyelinated fibers
Nerve (color)
white
Nerve (cell bodies or fibers?)
fibers
Nerve location
PNS
Tract (color)
white
Tract (cell bodies or fibers?)
fibers
Tract location
CNS
Ganglia (color)
gray
ganglia (cell bodies or fibers?)
cell bodies
ganglia location
PNS
nuclei (color)
gray
nuclei (cell bodies or fibers?)
cell bodies
nuclei location
CNS
Spinal cord
enclosed within the vertebral column
* shorter than the vertebral column
-white matter on the outside and gray matter on the inside
spinal cord functions
- conduction of impulses between periphery and brain
- reflex center
Foramen magnum
this is where the spinal cord begins and passes thru
vertebral foramen
vertebral canal
conus medullaris
spinal cord terminates , tapered end of spinal cord (L1,L2)
what are the three layers in the meninges
- dura mater
- arachnoid
- pia mater
dura mater
tough mother, outermost layer made of collagen fibers (white)
Arachnoid
middle meninges, extends to sacrum, looks like spiderwebs
pia mater
gentle mother , clings to spinal cord, vascular, and transparent , contains cerebral spinal fluid
subarachnoid space
-the space between arachnoid and pia mater
- contains cerebral spinal fluid
filum terminale
fibrous extension of pia mater, from conus medullaris to coccyx anchors
epidural space
-space between dura mater and bone filled with adipose tissue and LFCT
spinal cord shape
-3/4th in diameter, flattened discs that are cylindrical
cervical enlargement
contains cell bodies of motor neurons –> controls the muscles of upper extremities
- C4-T1
lumbar enlargement
-contain cell bodies of motor neurons –> controls the muscles of the lower extremities
- T9-T12
-right above the conus
Where can you find cerebral spinal fluid?
- subarachnoid
- central canal
How many segments (pairs) of spinal nerves
31
-each segment is defined by a pair of spinal nerves
posterior/dorsal median sulcus
-a deep groove located on the posterior surface of the spinal cord
anterior/ventral median fissue
-the deep midline furrow on the anterior surface of the spinal cord
What is located in the gray matter in the spinal cord
- posterior gray horn
- lateral gray horn
- anterior gray horn
posterior/dorsal gray horn
-responsible for sensory processing, receive incoming (afferent) sensory signals
lateral gray horn
-only found in the thoracic and lumbar segments
-cell bodies and unmyelinated fibers found here
-also contains cell bodies for autonomic output
-central component of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system
anterior gray horn
-sends out motor signals to the skeletal system
-somatic contains cells bodies of motor neurons
-anything that causes anterior horn destruction causes paralysis
What is located in the white matter in the spinal cord
- posterior white column (funiculus)
- lateral white column (funiculus)
- anterior white column (funiculus)