Spinal Cord And Nerves

Front 1

Describe the surface anatomy of the spinal cord.

Back 1

Begins at foramen magnum as a continuation of brain stem (medulla oblongata); ends at L1: has 31 segments defined by origin of a single pair of nerves, and named for where those nerves emerge

Front 2

What are the four regions of the spinal cord/vertebral column?

Back 2

Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral

Front 3

What are the enlargements (where the cord widens) of the spinal cord?

Back 3

Cervical enlargement (C4-T1) & Lumbar enlargement (T9-T12)

Front 4

What are the names of the fissures of the spinal cord?

Back 4

Anterior (Ventral) median fissure, posterior median sulcus, medullary cone (cons medullaris)

Front 5

What are the meninges?

Back 5

Connective tissue coverings

Front 6

List from outermost to innermost the spinal meninges and spaces and what are their tissue types?

Back 6

Epidural space- fat and connective tissue

Dura Mater- Dense Irregular connective tissue

Arachnoid- Avascular

Subarachnoid space- filled with CSF

Pia Mater- Collagen and elastic fibers

Front 7

What is gray matter?

Back 7

Highly organized collections of nuclei

Front 8

What is the precise anatomical location of skeletal motor neuron cell bodies?

Back 8

Ventral (Anterior) horn of gray matter

Front 9

What can be found in the lateral horn of the gray matter?

Back 9

Smooth, cardiac, and gland sympathetic neuron cell bodies

Front 10

Where do you find sensory nerve fibers?

Back 10

In the dorsal (posterior) horn of gray matter

Front 11

What are three general functions for the spinal cord?

Back 11

Conduction pathway (moves information up and down body), integration centers (for spinal reflexes), and locomotion (central pattern generators for coordinating repetitive muscle activity)

Front 12

Whats an ascending tract? Give an example.

Back 12

Sensory; Anterior Spinothalamic= sensory to the brain

Front 13

What is a descending tract? Give an example.

Back 13

Motor; Corticospinal= motor from the brain

Front 14

Describe white matter.

Back 14

Arranged into three columns, which contain multiple tracts: ventral (anterior) column, lateral column, and dorsal (posterior) column; contains ascending and descending tracts

Front 15

Where can you find motor axons from the CNS?

Back 15

Ventral (anterior) root (carries)

Front 16

Where can you find sensory axons?

Back 16

Dorsal (posterior) root (carries) into CNS

Front 17

What can be found in the dorsal (posterior) root ganglion?

Back 17

Sensory cell bodies

Front 18

What two structures unite to form a spinal nerve?

Back 18

Dorsal and ventral roots

Front 19

What are the names and distribution of what branches off a spinal nerve?

Back 19

Dorsal (posterior) and ventral (anterior) ramus branch off nerve; spinal nerves are mixed (sensory and motor) nerves

Front 20

List the types and the number of each type of spinal nerve.

Back 20

(8) Cervical

(12) Thoracic

(5) Lumbar

(5) Sacral

(1) Coccygeal

Front 21

What is a plexus?

Back 21

When the anterior rami branch and form anastomose (merge) to form a web

Front 22

What is a dermatone? Why are they clinically important?

Back 22

An area of skin providing sensory input to a given nerve. Allows us to check reflexes.

Front 23

Afferent fibers do what?

Back 23

Carry sensory signals from receptors to CNS

Front 24

Efferent fibers are responsible for what?

Back 24

Carrying motor signals from the CNS to effectors

Front 25

What do somatic fibers do?

Back 25

Innervate skin, skeletal muscle, bones, and joints

Front 26

What is the function of visceral fibers?

Back 26

Innervate blood vessels, glands, and viscera

Front 27

What do general fibers do?

Back 27

Innervate widespread organs such as muscles, skin, glands, viscera, and blood vessels

Front 28

Special fibers are responsible for what?

Back 28

Innervate more localized organs in the head; including the eyes, ears, olfactory and taste receptors,and the muscles of chewing, swallowing, and facial expressions

Front 29

Most motor activity occurs in the brain. What action(s) do not require the brain?

Back 29

Spinal reflexes

Front 30

What is a monosynaptic reflex?

Back 30

Consists of only one synapse in the CNS; sensory neuron synapses directly with the motor neuron; simplest reflex

Front 31

Arachn

Back 31

Spidery

Front 32

Cauda

Back 32

Tail

Front 33

Denticulate

Back 33

Tooth-like

Front 34

Dura

Back 34

Tough

Front 35

Equin

Back 35

Horse

Front 36

Mater

Back 36

Mother

Front 37

Plexus

Back 37

Braid

Front 38

Ramus

Back 38

Branch