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Spinal Cord
Runs through the vertebral canal Extends from foramen magnum to second lumbar vertebra Regions
Cervical Thoracic Lumbar Sacral Coccygeal
Not uniform in diameter Cervical enlargement: supplies upper limbs Lumbar enlargement: supplies lower limbs Conus medullaris- tapered inferior end
Ends between L1 and L2
Cauda equina - origin of spinal nerves extending inferiorly from conus medullaris.
Meninges
Dura mater: outermost layer; continuous with epineurium of the spinal nerves Arachnoid mater: thin and wispy Pia mater: bound tightly to surface
Forms the filum terminale
anchors spinal cord to coccyx
Forms the denticulate ligaments that attach the spinal cord to the dura
Spaces
Epidural: external to the dura
Anesthestics injected here Fat-fill
Gray matter: neuron cell bodies, dendrites, axons Divided into horns Posterior (dorsal) horn Anterior (ventral) horn Lateral horn White matter Myelinated axons Divided into three columns (funiculi)
Ventral Dorsal lateral
Dorsal half sensory roots and ganglia Ventral half motor roots Based on the type of neurons/cell bodies located in each horn, it is specialized further into 4 regions
Somatic sensory (SS) - axons of somatic sensory neurons Visceral sensory (VS) - neurons of visceral sensory neur. Visceral motor (VM) - cell bodies of visceral motor neurons Somatic motor (SM) - cell bodies of somatic motor neurons
Figure 12.31
Corticospinal tracts
1. 2. Location of UMN cell body in cerebral cortex Decussation of UMN axon in pyramids or at level of exit of LMN Synapse of UMN and LMN occurs in anterior horn of s.c. LMN axon exits via anterior root
3.
4.
Regulate:
Axial muscles that maintain balance and posture Muscles controlling coarse movements of the proximal portions of limbs Head, neck, and eye movement
Extrapyramidal Tract
Note: 1. UMN cell body location 2. UMN axon decussates in pons 3. Synapse between UMN and LMN occurs in anterior horn of sc 3. LMN exits via ventral root 4. LMN axon stimulates skeletal muscle
The spinocerebellar tracts send impulses to the cerebellum and do not contribute to sensory perception
Poliomyelitis
Virus destroys anterior horn motor neurons Victims die from paralysis of respiratory muscles Virus enters body in feces-contaminated water (public swimming pools)