Topic 19: Nervous System - CNS - Spinal Cord Flashcards
What are the 3 structures of the spinal cord?
- foramen magnum
- cauda equina (nerves)
- filum terminate
From where does the spinal cord start and end?
- foramen magnum to L1/L2 (conus medullaris)
Where do the nerves of the spinal cord move down as?
- nerves continue down from spinal cord through vertebral foramina as cauda eqina (horse’s tail)
Where do the nerves exit at?
intervertebral foramina
What is filum terminate and its function?
- CT extension of pia mater, which anchors conus medullaris of spinal cord to coccyx
Why is filum terminate important to doctors?
- where CSF samples are taken
What are the 4 cross-sectional structures of the spinal cord?
- anterior median structure + posterior median sulcus
- central canal
- gray matter
- white matter
What do the anterior median fissure and posterior median sulcus separate?
- separate spinal cord into right and left halves
What does the central canal contain?
CSF
What does gray matter in spinal cord contain? (3)
- cell bodies
- dendrites of motor neurons
- interneurons (non-myelinated)
What is the structure of the gray matter of the spinal cord? (3)
- H-shaped
- has cross bar
- horns
What is the cross bar of gray matter?`
- gray commisure
What are the 3 horns of the gray matter? say if they are sensory or motor
- dorsal horn - sensory
- lateral horn - motor
- ventral horn - motor
What is the white matter of the spinal cord?
- myelinated axons containing ascending (sensory) or descending (motor) tract
What does the white matter form? (3)
columns:
- dorsal column
- lateral column
- ventral column
