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39 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back

Number of spinal nerves

31 pairs

The spinal cord is a little thicker at the _____________________ and gives rise to nerves of the upper limbs

Cervical enlargement

The spinal cord is a little thicker at the______________________ and gives rise to nerves of the lower limbs

lumbar enlargement

What is the medullary cone?

Place inferior to the lumbar enlargement where the spinal cord tapers to a point

The ______________________ is a bundle of nerve roots arising from the lumbar enlargement and medullary cone that innervates the pelvic organs and lower limbs

cauda equina

Define meninges

fibrous connective tissue membranes covering the central nervous system

Define epidural space

the space between the vertebral bones and the dural sheath

Describe the dura mater

It is a tough, collagenous membrane about as thick as a rubber kitchen glove

Describe the arachnoid mater

consists of simple squamous epithelium that adheres to the inside of the dura, and a loose mesh of collagenous and elastic fibers spanning the gap between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater

What fills the subarachnoid space?

CSF

Describe the pia mater

delicate, transparent membrane that closely follows the contours of the spinal cord

What two structures fuse to form the coccygeal ligament, and what does it do?

Dura mater and pia mater fuse at the level of vertebra S2



It anchors the cord and meninges to vertebra Co1

What are denticulate ligaments?

regularly occurring extensions of the pia that extend through the arachnoid to the dura and anchor the cord, limiting side-to-side movement

Describe gray matter

Dull colored because it has little myelin. Site of synaptic contact between neurons, so it's the site of neural integration in the spinal cord

Describe white matter

Has an abundance of myelin. Composed of bundles of axons called tracts that carry signals from one part of the CNS to another

Describe the visible structure of gray matter in the spinal cord

Looks like a butterfly. Has two posterior/dorsal horns and two anterior/ventral horns. Central canal is often collapsed in adults

Describe the anterior and posterior roots of a spinal nerve

Anterior: the anterior horns of gray matter contain large somas of the somatic motor neurons. Axons from these somatic motor neurons exit by way of the anterior root and go to the skeletal muscles



Posterior: carries sensory nerve fibers, which enter the posterior horn and sometimes synapse with an interneuron there

What is another term for the 3 pairs of columns in the white matter, consisting of bundles of axons?

Funiculi

Each funiculi/column is subdivided into...(2 synonymous terms)

tracts/fascilculi

What do ascending tracts carry?

sensory information

What do descending tracts carry?

motor impulses

When tracts decussate so that the origin and destination are on opposite sides of the body, we say they are _______________ to each other

contralateral

How many neurons do sensory signals travel across? Describe each

3



First-order neuron: origin to spinal cord or brainstem


Second-order neuron: spinal cord or brainstem to thalamus/gateway


Third-order neuron: thalamus/gateway to sensory region of cerebral cortex

What are the names of the three pairs of funiculi of white matter?

anterior, lateral, posterior

Name the 6 ascending tracts

gracile fasciculus, cuneate fasciculus, spinothalamic, spinoreticular, posterior spinocerebellar, anteriorspinocerebellar

What sensory information does gracile fasciculus carry?

sensation of limb and trunk position and movement, deep touch, visceral pain, and vibration below T6

What sensory information does cuneate fasciculus carry?

same as gracile fasciculus but above T6

What sensory information does the spinothalamic tract carry?

sensations of light touch, tickle, itch, temperature, pain, and pressure

What sensory information does the spinoreticular tract carry?

sensation of pain from tissue injury

What sensory information does the posterior spinocerebellar tract carry?

feedback from muscles (proprioreception)

What sensory information does the anterior spinocerebellar tract carry?

same as posterior spinocerebellar. Proprioreception

Name the 7 descending (motor) tracts

lateral corticospinal, anterior corticospinal



tectospinal



lateral reticulospinal, medial reticulospinal



lateral vestibulospinal, medial vestibulospinal

What motor information do the lateral and anterior corticospinal tracts relay?

fine control of limbs

What motor information does the tectospinal tract relay?

reflexive head turning in response to visual and auditory stimuli

What motor information do the lateral and medial reticulospinal tracts relay?

balance and posture; regulation of awareness of pain

What motor information does the lateral vestibulospinal tract relay?

balance and posture

What motor information does the medial vestibulospinal tract relay?

control of head position

A short distance away from the spinal cord the, _______________ swells into the _________________, which contains the neurosomas of sensory neurons

posterior root, posterior root ganglion

When the dorsal and ventral roots merge, they form the spinal nerve proper, which is a __________ nerve because it carries sensory and motor signals

mixed