Unit 4 Flashcards
What is the Gray Matter of the Spinal Cord consist of?
Cell bodies, dendrites and part of axons
What is the White Matter of the Spinal Cord consist of?
myelinated or unmyelinated Axons
What does the Central Canal of the Spinal Cord consist of?
Cerebral Spinal Fluid
What are Tracts?
bundles of axons in the CNS
What are Tracts called in the PNS?
Nerves
What types of Tracts does White Matter contain?
Ascending (Sensory) and Descending (Motor)
What Tract does sensory information use?
Ascending tract
What Tract does motor information use?
Descending tract
Where do Ascending Tracts begin and end?
Ascending tracts in the central nervous system begin in the periphery (like the skin, muscles, and organs) where sensory receptors detect stimuli. These tracts then travel up the spinal cord or brainstem to end in the brain, where the sensory information is processed.
Where do Descending Tracts begin and end?
Descending tracts in the central nervous system begin in the brain, specifically in areas responsible for motor control. These tracts then travel down the spinal cord to end at lower motor neurons in the spinal cord, which then connect to muscles and glands, allowing for motor responses to be carried out.
In what section of the spinal cord does a Spinal Tap or Lumbar Puncture take place?
L3/L4 or L4/L5
Where does the spinal cord end?
L1 or L2
What is the Conus Medullaris?
(spinal cord terminate)
The conus medullaris is the tapered, lower end of the spinal cord. It typically ends around the level of the L1/L2 vertebrae in adults, although this can vary. Below the conus medullaris, the spinal cord continues as the filum terminale, a thin, non-neural tissue that extends to anchor the spinal cord within the vertebral canal.
What is the Cauda Equina?
(horse tail)
The cauda equina is a bundle of spinal nerves and spinal nerve roots that extend from the lower end of the spinal cord (around the L1/L2 vertebral level) in the lumbar region of the vertebral column. It resembles a horse’s tail, which is what “cauda equina” means in Latin. The cauda equina contains nerve roots that innervate the lower limbs, pelvic organs, and perineum.
What are the two enlargements of the spinal cord?
(cervical and lumbar)
The two enlargements of the spinal cord are the cervical enlargement and the lumbar enlargement. These enlargements correspond to the areas of the spinal cord that give rise to nerves supplying the upper limbs (cervical enlargement) and the lower limbs (lumbar enlargement).
