Spinal Cord Anatomy Flashcards Preview

RUSVM Gross Anatomy 2 > Spinal Cord Anatomy > Flashcards

Flashcards in Spinal Cord Anatomy Deck (17)
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1
Q

What are the 3 general functions of the spinal cord?

A
  1. Sensory input and motor output for the neck, trunk, limbs and tail
  2. Reflexive control of patterned movement and adjustment of glandular activity
  3. Transmission of information to and from teh brain
2
Q

The spinal cord recieves sensory information from peripheral nerves via

A

dorsal roots

3
Q

Motor commands are sent to the skeletal and smooth muscle via

A

ventral roots

4
Q

What are the function of interneurons?

A

receive and integrate afferent information to adjust local muscle and glandular activity to adapt to sensory environment

5
Q

Ascending fiber pathways carry what kind of information?

A

sensory information to the brain

6
Q

Descending fiber pathways carry what kind of information?

A

Commands from teh brain to the body to regulate posture, voluntary movement and visceral aspects of behavior

7
Q

a spinal nerve, when it leaves through the intervertebral foramen splits into four branches:

A
  1. meningeal
  2. dorsal
  3. ventral
  4. communicating branches (GVE and GVA)
8
Q

Grey matter of the spinal cord contains

A

cells bodies of neurons

9
Q

What are the four regions of grey matter?

A

dorsal horn, intermediate zone, ventral horn and lateral horn

10
Q

The Dorsal horn of grey matter is responsible for?

A

receiving, processing and relaying afferent information from teh dorsal root fibers

11
Q

The intermediate zone of grey matter is responsible for?

A

interneurons, used in the production of reflexes, such as antigravity, support, balance, and voluntary movement

12
Q

The ventral horn of grey matter is responsible for?

A

contains motor neurons that send their axons through the ventral root to innervate muscle fibers

13
Q

The lateral horn of grey matter is responsible for?

A

contains cell bodies of preganglionic sympathetic neurons

only located at segments T1-L3/4

14
Q

White matter of the spinal cord contains

A

myelinated and unmyelinated axons

15
Q

Upper motor neurons are located where?

A

UMN are descending neurons originating form the cerberal motor cortex or various nuclei of the brainstem and synapse into interneurons to affect LMNs located in the spinal cord

16
Q

Lower motor neurons are located where?

A

LMN originate in the brainstem or spinal cord that synapse onto skeletal muscle fibers (femoral n)

17
Q

What is the cauda equina?

A

It is a collection of spinal nerves that stretch caudally