Spinal Nerves, Membrane Potentials and Action Potentials Flashcards
(117 cards)
Spinal Nerves- how many? where do they come from?
Thirty-one pairs of mixed nerves arise from the spinal cord and supply all parts of the body except the head
cervical nerves
8 cervical (C1-C8)
thoracic nerves
12 thoracic (T1-T12) intercostal nerves lumbar enlargement
lumbar nerves
5 Lumbar (L1-L5)
sacral nerves
5 Sacral (S1-S5)
coccygeal
1 Coccygeal (C0)
Brachial Plexus
Formed by C5-C8 and T1 (C4 and T2 may also contribute to this plexus) It gives rise to the nerves that innervate the upper limb
There are four major branches of the brachial plexus
Roots – five ventral rami (C5-T1) Trunks – upper, middle, and lower, which form divisions Divisions – anterior and posterior serve the front and back of the limb Cords – lateral, medial, and posterior fiber bundles Branches
nerve plexuses…where are they found?
All ventral rami except T2-T12 form interlacing nerve networks called plexuses Plexuses are found in the cervical, brachial, lumbar, and sacral regions Each resulting branch of a plexus contains fibers from several spinal nerves Fibers travel to the periphery via several different routes
what happens to damage to one spinal segment?
Damage to one spinal segment cannot completely paralyze a muscle
Brachial plexus
Second most common postop peripheral neuropathy
Axillary
– innervates the deltoid and teres minor
Musculocutaneous
sends fibers to coracobrachialis, biceps brachii and brachialis. Flexion at elbow
Median
branches to most of the flexor muscles of forearm and opponens pollicis Pronation of forearm Flexion of wrist Opposition of thumb Flexion of lateral three fingers
Ulnar
supplies the flexor carpi ulnaris and half of the flexor digitorum profundus Flexion of wrist Adduction of fingers Flexion of medial two fingers **Ulnar nerve- post op compression from the hard operating table**
Radial
Supplies ALL extensors of arm and forearm muscles. Extension at elbow Supination of forearm Extension of wrist and fingers **Radial fracture of the humerus- this nerve can be snapped**
Intercostobrachial nerve
Can be blocked to reduce pain from tourniquet inflation during IV regional neural anesthesia
neuron
Basic building block of CNS ~ 100 billions Integration and transmission of nerve impulses
Schwann cells
produce myelin sheath which wraps around axon, provides insulation
Node of Ranvier
gaps in myelin sheath
Saltatory conduction:
Node to node jumping of depolarization.
where are neurotransmitters synthesized.
Neurotransmitters are synthesized in cell body and transported to synaptic knobs All or none law
Multiple Sclerosis
Demyelination results slow or blocked conduction
Bipolar Neuron
has short axon process from arising from one side of the cell body, and a short dendritic process arising from the opposite side