Spinal Cord, Spinal Nerves, & Associated Structures Flashcards
peripheral nervous system
all parts external to the CNS
. 12 pairs cranial nerves arise from ganglia in the brain
. 31 pairs of spinal nerves arise from/attached to the spinal cord
motor neuron function
relay motor impulses from the CNS to muscle fibers and glands
motor neuron structure
They have a unipolar structure with a proximally located cell body and single
axon
sensory neuron function
relay impulses from receptors in the body to the CNS
sensory neuron structure
pseudounipolar structure with a centrally located cell body and an axon that is divided into a central process and a peripheral process.
PNS subdivisions of body
somatic & autonomic
somatic component on PNS
. structures of the body wall and limbs
. voluntary system.
somatic sensory neurons
. neurons convey information from receptors in skin, joints, & skeletal muscles to CNS
. detect touch, pain, pressure, temp, and proprioception.
somatic motor neurons
neurons relay impulses from the CNS and innervate voluntary muscle fibers
autonomic component of PNS
. visceral structures: organs, vessels, and glands
. involuntary/visceral system.
visceral sensory neurons
. convey info from receptors located in organ wall, vessels & glands to CNS
. detect stretch, pain, temp, chemical irritation, hunger
visceral motor neurons
relay impulses from the CNS and innervate smooth
muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands
where does spinal cord run?
through the vertebral canal from the foramen magnum to the L1 or L2 vertebrae
inferiorly
meninges
encased in protective membranes
spinal cord functions
. motor & sensory innervation of the body inf. to head
. Provides conduction pathway for signals between the body and brain
. Major reflex center
primary tissues in spinal cord
white & gray matter
white matter
. interconnected, myelinated axon tracts connecting parts of the spinal cord to each other or brain
. contains glial cells that support &nourish nervous tissue
gray matter
Forms the central core of the spinal cord.
why is gray matter gray?
axons in it are unmyelinated
Gray matter shape
transverse cross-section, it is “H”-shaped with two ventral horns and two dorsal horns
what do ventral horns contain?
cell bodies of motor neurons (somatic and visceral)
what do dorsal horns contain?
interneurons & prox. axons of sensory neurons (somatic & visceral)
interneurons
in CNS and transmit impulses between other
neurons
spinal nerves are composed of ___
motor and/or sensory neurons
Fila
(sl. filum; axons, rootlets) emerge from the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the spinal
cord and unite to form ventral and dorsal roots
ventral root
. consists of motor axons (fibers) exiting the spinal cord
where are cell bodies of ventral root neurons?
gray matter of the spinal cord.
dorsal root
consists of central processes of sensory neuron axons (fibers) entering the spinal cord.
where are cell bodies of dorsal root neurons?
dorsal root ganglia (DRG) located on the lateral end
of the dorsal root adjacent to, or within, the intervertebral foramina.
spinal nerve proper formation
(aka mixed spinal nerve): Formed by the union of the dorsal and ventral nerve roots of a single spinal cord segment.
Spinal nerve proper characteristics
. Contains both motor and sensory axons/fibers
. Only a few mm. long; located w/in or just external to an intervertebral foramen
spinal nerves split into ___
dorsal & ventral primary rami
dorsal primary ramus
. Supplies motor and sensory innervation to deep back mm.
. Supplies cutaneous sensory innervation to the skin of the back via post. cutaneous n. branches
. smaller than ventral ramus