Spinal Cord and Basic Reflexes Flashcards
(34 cards)
Reflex
An automatic unlearned reaction to a stimulus
What part of the spine is above thoracic
Cervical
Why are some vertibrae of the lumbar spine fused
To provide a base for attachment for the stability within the sacral area
What and where is the medulla oblongata
It is at the base of the brain and it is where the spinal cord begins; its tissue has little difference to the tissue in the spine
Where are the two enlargements in the spinal cord
Cervical and Lumbar
What are the enlargements of the spine associated with
The respective neural tissues of upper and lower limbs
Where does the spine terminate and what are two parts within the region
In the sacral region; conus medullaris and filum terminale
Take a wild guess and identify which is white and which is grey matter; identify which has myelinated axons and which has perikarya
White matter has myelinated axons and grey has no myelin as it contains cell bodies and dendrites
What are the funiculi of the spine and where are they arranged
Columns in the white matter that transmit information up and down the spinal cord
(for orientation, dorsal = posterior, ventral = anterior)
Label the parts of the grey matter in this Spinal Cross Section
**ICC forms the lateral horn of the spinal cord’s gray matter. It contains the ANS motor neurons that give rise to the preganglionic fibers of the SNS
Where are the nerve roots located on the coronal cross section of the spine
Dorsally (Afferent) and Ventrally (Efferent)
**Bilateral
Which of the dorsal and ventral nerve roots are affarent (sensory input) and efferent (motor output)
What is one bundle of dorsal root nerve and dorsal nerve rootlets referred to and how many are there per vertebra
Spinal Segment - One per vertebrae (and a couple more, e.g. C8)
How many vertebrae per section of spine?
Mneumonic - 7 men used 12 condoms in their orgy; 5 were wasted because 5 of the men had anal piercings they forgot to remove; this happened at 3-5 of the orgies
Describe the movement of the cauda equina from a newborn to an adult
What is the cauda equina
Sack of nerve roots that leave are at the base of the spine, below the main spinal cord
How is a lumbar puncture performed
Insertion of a needle between L4 and L5 and extracting liquid
Label and name what separates them
(Pia mater separates them)
Why are anaesthetics generally not put into the subarachnoid space and instead in the epidural
The subarachnoid space causes drug diffusion through the CNS whereas drugs on the epidural act locally
Name the Ascending Funiculi
BE AWARE THAT FUNICULI STRUCTURE VARIES WITH SPINE LEVEL
Define Decussation and discuss when it may occur
Crossover of nerve impulses across the spine or across the brain;
Pain crosses over through the spine while touch/proprioception decussates in the brainstem in the dorsal funiculi
Name the Descending Funiculi
What is the function of each descending funiculi
Motor Unit
Group of muscle fibres innervated by a single spinal alpha motor neuron
