The Spinal Cord

Question 1

what is directly posterior from the 2 laminae in the spine’s vertebrae

Answer 1

the spinous process

Question 2

what is directly lateral from the junction of the lamina and the pedicle in the spinal vertebra

Answer 2

the transverse process

Question 3

which processes form the inferior and superior surface of every spinal vertebra and consist of 2 superior and 2 inferior ones

Answer 3

the articular processes

Question 4

what type of joint is it between 2 articular processes of vertebrae?

Answer 4

a synovial joint

Question 5

what is the boundary of the spine superiorly and inferiorly

Answer 5

the foramen magnum and conus medularis

Question 6

at what vertebral level does the spinal cord terminate in the: a. adult b. child

Answer 6

a. L1 b.L3

Question 7

at what level of the vertebra (in broad terms) does the lumbosacral plexus arise

Answer 7

thoracolumbar area

Question 8

what is the filum terminali?

Answer 8

a prolongation of th epia mater that surrounds the spinal cord that attaches to the posterior surface to the coccyx inferiorly

Question 9

how many pairs of spinal nerves are there in total

Answer 9

31

Question 10

how many pairs of spinal nerves are there in the lumbar region?

Answer 10

5

Question 11

what type of nerve is contained withing the dorsal root ganglion

Answer 11

sensory nerves

Question 12

where does the central canal of the spinal cord open into superiorly?

Answer 12

the 4th ventricle

Question 13

once at the conus medularis of the spinal cord what happens to the central canal?

Answer 13

it expands into the fusiform terminal ventricle

Question 14

give 3 things that are in the grey matter of the spinal cord

Answer 14

nerve cell bodies, the dendrites and synapses

Question 15

what region of the spinal cod innervate the a.upper limbs b.lower limbs; and what are the enlargements of these regions called

Answer 15

a.cervical b.lumbosacral. cervical and lumbosacral enlargements

Question 16

in what region of the spinal cord is a lateral grey column present and what types of nerve fibres do they provide

Answer 16

the thoracic and upper lumbar regions. sympathetic autonomic innervation

Question 17

what is the name of the smaller, multipolar nerve cells that pass out of the spinal cord to innervate the intrafusal fibres of the neuromuscular spindles

Answer 17

alpha gamma efferent fibres

Question 18

what does the medial aspect of the anterior grey column innervate

Answer 18

the muscles of the limbs

Question 19

what does the lateral aspect of the anterior grey column innervate

Answer 19

skeletal muscles of the trunk and neck. including those of the abdomen and intercostals

Question 20

what does the central aspect of the anterior grey column innervate

Answer 20

in the cervical part f the cord, some of these supply the diaphragm, so are called the phrenic plexus. the upper 5 or 6 segments in the cervical region innervate the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius, so are the accessory nucleus ass they form the spinal part of the accessory nerve.

Question 21

what 2 nerve cell groups in posterior grey column extend the whole length of the spinal cord

Answer 21

the substantia gelatinosa (receives inputs of pain temp and touch) and the nucleus proprius ( receives information on proprioception, 2 point discrimination and vibration)

Question 22

does the fasiculus cuneatus innervate upper or lower limbs?

Answer 22

upper.

Question 23

what segments of the spinal cord is clarke’s column present at?

Answer 23

thoracic and lumbar

Question 24

what segments innervate the abdominal muscles?

Answer 24

T7-L1

Question 25

for the lateral grey column, it is absent in the lumbosacral part, apart from at what levels? and what do type of innervation so they do?

Answer 25

s2-4. autonomic parasympathetic innervation

Question 26

what 3 tissues make up the white column of the spinal cord?

Answer 26

neuroglia, blood vessels and tracts

Question 27

other than ascending and descending tracts, there are intersegmental tracts, what do they do?

Answer 27

they serve to link different parts of the spinal cord together

Question 28

what is exteroception?

Answer 28

information that originatea from outside the body (pain, temp and touch) which are done by the spinothalamic tracts

Question 29

what is proprioception

Answer 29

information that originates from inside the body (so from muscles and joints) so DCML

Question 30

what spinal nerves form the brachial plexus?

Answer 30

c3-t1

Question 31

what segments innervate the lower limb?

Answer 31

L1-s3

Question 32

at what time in utero does the spinal cord run the whole length of the spinal cord?

Answer 32

3rd month

Question 33

how many vertebra higher do the a.cervical roots b. thoracic c.lumbar lie?

Answer 33

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3-4

Question 34

name 6 sensory tracts in the spinal cord

Answer 34

the spinotectal tract, spinolivary tract, dorsal column medial lemniscus, the spinocerebellar tract, the spinoreticular tract, the spinothalamic tract

Question 35

3 senses of DCML tract

Answer 35

proprioception, vibration and discriminitive touch

Question 36

what are the fasciculi of the DCML

Answer 36

fasciculus gracilis and fasciculus cuneatus

Question 37

which of the columns of DCML are sensory for a.the lateral and upper body b. medial and lower body

Answer 37

a.cuneatus b. gracilis

Question 38

what are the 4 sensors for DCML

Answer 38

meisners, pacinian corpucsles, ruffini (wrong spelling probs) and merkel endings