Spinal cord overview Flashcards
what occurs in the spine
basic integration of somatosensory feedback and motor responses
- reflexes can occur at the level of the spine
what is in the dorsal horn
sensory neurons from muscles and skin terminate
where are cell bodies for sensory nerves
dorsal root ganglia
what is in the ventral horn
cell bodies and axosn of motor neurons (send motor outputs)
what is in the intermediate zones
interneurons
- can loop onto inhibitory interneurons and alpha motor neurons
where does decussation of pain and temp info occur
at the level of the spine (intermediate zone)
- occurs through interneurons
why does cervical enlargement occur
large number of sensory and motor fibres entering and leaving to innervate the upper limbs
why does lumbar enlargement occur
large number of sensory and motor neurons entering and leaving to innervate the lower limbs
which part of the spine has a larger proportion of ascending and descending axons and why
cervical
- more info at the top of the spine compared to the bottom
which part of the spine has a larger proportion of grey matter and why
lumbar and sacral
- emphasis on spinal processing
what is in the dorsal column of the spinal cord
axons of sensory neurons that carry touch and proprioceptive info
what is the internal capsule
white matter tract that carries info from the thalamus to S1
what is the cuneate fascicle
carries sensory infor from the upper body and trunk
what is the gracile fascicle
carries sensory info from the lower limbs and trunk
