Vertebral Column, Spinal Cord, Trunk, Abdominal Wall Flashcards
meninges
the layers around the spinal cord and brain
bones in the thoracic cavity
- ribs
- sternum
cervical region
- neck region
- has 7 vertebra
- small body, minimal to no transverse process, has a bifid spinous process, has transverse foramen
thoracic region
- chest region
- had 12 verterbra
- body much larger, vertebral foramen larger, large transverse process, has a large spinous process rotated inferiorly, and larger superior and inferior processes
lumbar region
- 5 moveable vertebra
- the spinal cord ends at L1
- much larger body, smaller but fatter spinous process, transverse process is small, vertebral foramen more of a triangle shape
- these have the largest body because they support the most weight
sacral region
- 5 fused vertebra
- this is the end of the vertebral column
cervical enlargement
a portion of the cervical region that is larger/wider than the rest
lumbar enlargement
a portion of the cord larger than the rest just above the conus medullar-is
conus medullaris
cone shaped inferior end of the spinal cord
cauda equina
the spinal nerves that travel through the vertebral column after the spinal cord ends
Dura Mater
“tough mother”
- this is the outter most layer of the meninges
- this is the toughest layer
arachnoid Mater
- thin transparent layer deep to the dura mater
pia mater
- final, inner layer that is directly touching the spinal cord
- won’t be able to see this except at the dentriculate ligaments and the filum terminale
denticulate ligament
triangle shaped tissues that anchor the spinal cord laterally to keep it centrally located (tip of triangle is touching the spinal cord and the base is touching the dura)
filum terminale
an extension of the pia mater that anchors the spinal cord from the conus medullaris to the coccyx
white matter
- this is made of mylinated axons
- arranged into columns
- this is in the spinal cord and will see it in the cross sections
dorsal column
the area between the dorsal horns on the spinal cord in the white matter
ventral column
the area between the ventral horns on the spinal cord in the white matter
lateral column
the area between the ventral horn and dorsal hornon the spinal cord in the white matter
Gray Matter
houses cell bodies and unmyelinated axons
- arranged into horns
- this is in the spinal cord and will see it in the cross sections
posterior (dorsal) horn
the two parts jutting out toward the posterior
- part of the gray matter
lateral horn
these are horns that are between the posterior and anterior horns
- these are only present on the thoracic region
- part of the gray matter
anterior horn
the two that are jutting out toward the anterior of the body
-part of the gray matter
central canal
this is the hole in the center of the gray matter
- this contains cerebral spinal fluid
- this is surrounded by the region reffered to as the commissure (part of the gray matter)
dorsal root ganglian
small, ball like swelling on the outer aspect of the dura matter
- this is going to be lateral to the spinal cord
- this houses cell bodies of the sensory neurons traveling through the dorsal root
dorsal root and rootlets
- carry sensory information from the periphery to the spinal cord
- these are going to be lateral to the spinal cord
- these are thicker than the ventral roots
spinal nerves
where dorsal and ventral roots merge and both the motor and sensory information mixes
- these will be lateral to the spinal cord
- these are where the dorsal and ventral ramus converge before they separate into the dorsal and ventral roots (the roots are going to be more promimal to the spinal cord)
dorsal rami
runs dorsally to innervate the muscles and skin of the back
-lateral to the spinal nerve