Spinal Cord and Spinal Nerves Flashcards

1
Q

3 Meninges

A

Protect the Spinal Cord which is fluid filled
Order of Meninges + Surroundings
1. Epidural Space
2. Dura Mater
3. Arachnoid Mater
4. Subarachnoid Space
5. Pia mater

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2
Q

Dura Mater (Meninge)

A

Outermost and toughest layer
Surrounded by epidural space

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3
Q

Arachnoid Mater

A

Interior to the dura mater, Thin, Spider web like extension to the pia mater

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4
Q

Subarachnoid Space

A

Between the pia mater and the arachnoid mater
Filled with CSF
Provides protective cushion around the spinal cord and brain

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5
Q

Pia Mater (Meninge)

A

Tightly adheres to the spinal cord and it is delicate
* Continues past end of Spinal cord and becomes the Filum Terminale

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6
Q

Central Canal

A
  • Narrow passageway in the spinal cord that holds the CSF
  • Runs through the center of the whole spinal cord and connects to the brain’s ventricles
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7
Q

Termination of the Medulla Oblongata of the Brain

A

Where the spinal cord begins

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8
Q

Spinal Cord Length

A

Spinal cord passes through successive vertebral foramina to L1/L2

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9
Q

Conus Medullaris

A

Cone-shaped termination of the spinal cord found out L1/L2

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10
Q

Filum terminale

A

The band the pia mater becomes past the end of the spinal cord
Tethers spinal cord to sacrum and coccyx

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11
Q

Denticulate Ligaments

A

20 paired lateral extensions along the length of the spinal cord formed by the pia mater
- Provide stability

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12
Q

Cervical and Lumbar Enlargements*

A

Larger than the intervening regions due to the large number of neurons dealing with the innervation of the limbs

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13
Q

Where do the spinal nerve roots emerge from? PNS or CNS?

A

Emerge from the left and right sides of the spinal cords
- Part of the PNS

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14
Q

Spinal Nerves (31 pairs)

A
  • Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, coccygeal spinal nerves that serve these regions of the body
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15
Q

Cauda Equina

A

Bundle of spinal nerve roots as the spinal nerves passes through the vertebral canal to get to diff body parts

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16
Q

Anterior Median Fissure

A

A large cleft on the ventral side of the spinal cord
- Cuts into white matter along the spinal cord

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17
Q

White Matter

A
  • Myelinated axons that give it its color
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18
Q

Dorsal, Lateral, Ventral Columns

A

Columns that organize the bundles of axons (tracts) running up and down the spinal cord

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19
Q

Corticospinal Tracts

A
  • Largest Descending Tracts
  • Carries info from the cerebral cortex to the motor neurons from the spinal cord
  • Ventral column
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20
Q

Spinothalamic Tract

A
  • Ascending Tract
  • Neurons carry pain and temperature signals from the spinal cord upward to the thalamus of the brain
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21
Q

Gray Matter

A
  • Shaped like an H/butterflu
  • Contains interneurons allowing for communication to and from the brain and other spinal cord regions
22
Q

Dorsal Horn (SENSORY)

A
  • Gray matter column that contains the cell bodies of neurons that receive sensory information
  • Somatic Sensory Region: signals from skin, skeletal muscles, bones (arrive at dorsal-most region)
  • Visceral Sensory Region: signals from organs (arrive at central region of dorsal horn)
  • contains sensory neurons cell bodies
23
Q

Ventral Horn (MOTOR)

A
  • Contains cell bodies of motor neurons
    Somatic Motor Region: Motor neurons that travel out the spinal cord to skeletal muscles
24
Q

Lateral Horn (MOTOR)

A
  • Contains cell bodies of motor neurons
    Visceral Motor Region: motor neurons that travel to glands and smooth/cardiac muscles
25
Q

Cervical Vertebrae and Cervical Spinal Nerves

A

7 Cervical Vertebrae
8 Cervical Spinal Nerves (above vertebra)
* C8 exits above T1 since there is no C8 vertebra

26
Q

Thoracic Vertebrae and Thoracic Spinal Nerves

A

12 Thoracic vertebrae and spinal nerves
* Nerves are under vertebra

27
Q

Lumbar Vertebra and Lumbar Spinal Nerves

A

5 lumbar vertebra and spinal nerves
* Nerves are under vertebra

28
Q

Sacrum and Sacral Spinal Nerves

A

5 sacral vertebrae fuse to form sacrum and 5 sacral spinal nerves
* Nerves are under vertebra

29
Q

Dermatome

A

Skin segments that correspond to spinal nerve
- innervated by nerves
- T10 dermatome is innervated by 10th pair of thoracic spinal nerve

30
Q

Nerve

A

Organ comprised of neurons, connective tissue, and blood vessels and axons are found within them

31
Q

Ganglion

A

Cluster of neuron cell bodies (soma)

32
Q

Dorsal Root

A

Contains only sensory neurons entering the dorsal horn of the spinal cord

33
Q

Dorsal Root Ganglion

A

Swelling formed by the sensory neurons’ cell bodies
- buldge

34
Q

Sensory Neurons

A
  • Unipolar/psedounipolar bc they have the cell body in the middle of their length
35
Q

Ventral Root

A

Contains only axons of motor neurons and
- cell bodies are in the ventral and lateral horn of the gray matter

36
Q

Rami

A

Branches of the spinal nerve

37
Q

Dorsal Ramus

A

Contains somatic motor and somatic sensory neurons headed to or from the skin/muscle/bones of the back

38
Q

Ventral Ramus

A

Carries somatic motor and somatic sensory neurons to the skin, muscle, and bones of the body wall and limbs

39
Q

Communicating Ramus

A

Pair of small branches that carry neurons to the smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands of the body

40
Q

Sympatheitc Ganglion

A

Site where neurons from communicating ramus synapse and the location of cell bodies

41
Q

Sympathetic Chain

A

Formed from ganglia and connecting branches
- Distribution hub for visceral neurons

42
Q

Plexus

A

Formed from largest rami (ventral)
- Group of nerves
- Plexuses: combine somatic motor and sensory neurons from 6 ventral rami to form nerves that contain axons from multiple spinal nerves

43
Q

Intercostal Nerves

A

Ventral rami of thoracic spinal nerves continue around the lateral sides of the body as the intercostal nerves

44
Q

Cervical Plexus

A

Formed from ventral rami of cervical spinal nerves and innervates many of the neck muscles and diaphragm

45
Q

Brachial Plexus

A

Formed from ventral rami of C5-T1 spinal nerves and supplies the upper appendage

46
Q

Lumbosacral Plexus

A

Formed from ventral rami of L2-S4 spinal nerves and supplies the lower appendage

47
Q

Polysynaptic Reflexes

A
  • Involves one or several interneurons (synapse)
  • 1st synapse w/ sensory neuron: dorsal horn
  • 2nd synapse w/motor neuron: ventral horn
    -Withdrawal Reflex: hand on stove
48
Q

Monosynaptic Reflexes

A
  • sensory neurons synapse directly with the ventral horn’s motor neurons
  • Knee jerk
  • no interneurons
49
Q

Descending Pathway

A

The systems of neurons that bring info from the brain down to the appropriate muscle or gland of the body
*Corticospinal tract
- Upper Motor Neuron: interneuron of CNS that travels in the corticospinal tract and has its cell body in the cerebral cortex and terminal in the ventral horn (originates in primary motor cortex - precentral gyrus)

SYNAPSE AT VENTRAL HORN

  • Lower Motor Neuron: Peripheral motor neuron that travels within the spinal nerve and eventually reaches its skeletal muscle target
    -Decussation occurs in the medulla
50
Q

Ascending Pathway

A

*Spinothalamic tract
Carries pain and temperature information to the cerebral cortex
- 1st order neuron: Sensory (peripheral) neuron extends form the source of the stimulus to the dorsal horn, synapses with interneuorn - 2nd order
-2nd order neuron: interneuron decussates to contralteral side and its axon enters white matter, the axon synapses in thalamus
-3rd order neuron: next interneuron relays the signal up to the cerebral cortex allowing conscious awareness of sensation

SYNAPSES AT DORSAL HORN AND THALAMUS