Bio210 Exercise 21: Spinal Cord and Spinal Nerves Flashcards

The spinal cord is continuation of the brain stem. The size of your thumb except at cervical enlargement and lumbar enlargement.

Yes

Yes

Yes

No. It is missing...

Cervical plexus (Plexus collection of nerves) C1- C5 supply muscles of shoulder and neck, phrenic nerve innervates the diaphragm

Brachial plexus (Plexus collection of nerves) C5 – C8, T1, forms 5 major nerves that innervate the arm, median nerve

Cervical enlargement

Lumbar enlargement

Conus medullaris

Filum terminale

Cauda equine (Looks like horse hairs)

Posterior horn
Dorsal (posterior) horn – more pointed, contains interneurons and sensory fibers

Anterior horn
Ventral (anterior) horn – broader, contains cell bodies of motor neurons of somatic nervous system (voluntary)

Lateral horn
Lateral out pocketing, only in thoracic and lumbar region, contains cell bodies of motor neurons of autonomic nervous system

Gray commissure
Gray matter connecting sides.

Central canal opening
Contains CSF, continuous with the ventricles

Posterior white columns(funiculus)
White matter – outer, tracts of myelinated axons

Anterior white columns(funiculus)
White matter – outer, tracts of myelinated axons

Lateral white columns(funiculus) White matter – outer, tracts of myelinated axons

Dorsal median sulcus

Ventral median fissure

Dorsal root

Dorsal root ganglion
They are only seen on the dorsal side.

Ventral root.
They come off the front. No ganglion on the front skinny root wires.

Spinal nerve 31 pairs