Nervous system

Chapter 17 Central Nervous System

The spinal cord

Location And External Features
Internal Structure
the manifestation of spinal reflex and post-trauma
Functions Of The Spinal Cord

Brain

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 How human can survive?
• No sharp paw,claws
• No sharp teeth
• The sense of smell not very keen( king
butterfly 11km, dog 1million)
• Running speed not very fast
100 Meter world record Jamaica athlete
Powell 9 s 73, Acinonyx, Cheetah 288M
• Highly developed (nervous system )
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Spinal cord
Location And External Features ⑴ ⑵
position ： lie in vertebral canal
⑶ ⑸
The superior extremity is linked with medulla
oblongata at the level of great occipital foramen.
The inferior extremity is at the level of the
inferior border of first body of lumber vertebra ⑷
in adult.
shape ：
two enlargement ：
cervical enlargement⑸
lumbosacral enlargement⑹
stripes of sulcus ： ⑹
anterior median fissure ⑴
posterior median sulcus ⑵
anterolateral sulci ⑶
posterolateral sulci ⑷

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 Conus medullaris ⑴
Filum terminale ⑵ ⑴
Cauda equina⑶
Spinal nerve （ 31 pairs ）
Anterior root ⑷ （ motor ） ⑵
Posterior root⑸ （ sense ）

⑵
⑸

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⑷
 The relationship with vertebrae

The spinal segment refers to a region of the spinal

cord from which a pair of spinal nerves arises.

31 segments ： C8 、 T12 、 L5 、 S5 、 Co1

spinal cord vertebrae
C1 - C4 CI - CIV -0
C5 - T4 CIV - TIII -1
T5 - T8 TIII - TVI -2
T9 - T12 TVI - TIX -3
L1 - L5 TX - TXII
S1 - Co1 LI
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 Internal Structure
central canal
anterior (ventral) horn or anterior column
posterior (dorsal) horn or posterior column
lateral horn or lateral column
intermediate zone
central gray
posterior gray commissure
anterior gray commissure
white matter
anterior funiculus
lateral funiculus
posterior funiculus
anterior white commissure
reticular formation
terminal ventricle

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Laminas of the gray matter
Rexed layers
Lamina Ⅰ —marginal layer （ areas spongiosa ）
Lamina Ⅱ —substantia gelatinosa
Lamina Ⅲ nucleus proprius
Lamina Ⅳ
Lamina Ⅴ receive the afferent fibers of
proprioceptive sense and regulate
Lamina Ⅵ movement
intermediomedial nucleus——is related to visceral sensory
intermediolateral nucleus——is related to visceral motor
Lamina thoracic nucleus （ Clark’s column ）— unconscious
proprioceptive sense
sacral parasympathetic nucleus—is correspond to layer Ⅶ at the
segment S2 － 4 ， visceral motor
Lamina —interneuron, effect the γ and α motor neuron
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Layer Ⅸ — motor neuron of anterior horn
medial nucleus of anterior horn ： trunk muscle
lateral nucleus of anterior horn ： limb muscle
α-motor nerve ⑴ ： dominate the extrafusal muscle fiber of straddling
joint→joint movement
γ-motor nerve ⑵ ： dominate intrafusal fiber→regulate muscular tension
Renshaw cell⑶ ： receive α- axon collateral of motor nerve and send out
branches and form reverse feedback loop with it.
layer Ⅹ — central gray ： receive some posterior root fiber

Ⅹ
⑴ ⑵

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⑶
 The relationship between the laminas and the nuclei of the spinal cord

Laminas Nuclei
I posteriomarginal nucleus
II substantia gelatinosa
III, IV nucleus proprius
V reticular nucleus
VI base of posterior column
VII thoracic nucleus,
intermediomedial nucleus,
intermediolateral nucleus,
sacral parasympathetic nucleus
VIII, IX medial motor neuron column,
lateral motor neuron column
X central gray matter

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 Tracts of the Spinal Cord ⑴
Ascending Tracts ⑵

fasciculus gracilis ⑴ below T5

fasciculus cuneatus⑵ above T4

—conduct conscious proprioceptive
sense

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 direct cerebellar tract

posterior spinocerebellar tract

anterior spinocerebellar tract

—conduct unconscious
proprioceptive sense ⑴

spinothalamic tract
lateral spinothalamic tract ⑴
—conduct crude sense of
touch and pressure sensation
anterior spinothalamic tract ⑵ ⑵
—conduct sense of pain
and warm

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Descending Tracts

corticospinal tract ： body movement

lateral corticospinal tract ⑴
anterior corticospinal tract ⑵
anterolateral corticospinal tract (of Barnes)
rubrospinal tract ：
flexor excited
vestibulospinal tract ：
extensor excited
reticulospinal tract ：
motor control of proximal muscle of trunk and
limbs
tectospinal tract ：
excite the cervical muscle of opposite side, inhibit
cervical muscle of homonymy
medial longitudinal fasciculus ：
regulating the ocular movement and head position

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 Functions of the Spinal Cord

Conduction pathway ；
reflex centre 。

spinal reflex
The simple reflex arc includes
1 ） receptor ， 2 ） afferent neuron ， 3 ） interneurons neuron ，
4 ） efferent neuron ， 5 ） effector

somatic reflexes —reflexes that result in the contraction of skeletal

muscles superficial (skin and mucous membrane) reflexes and deep
(myotatic) reflexes etc
visceral reflexes —the contraction of smooth or cardiac muscle or
secretion by glands
such as carotid sinus, bladder and rectal reflex,etc.

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Stretch Reflexes

stretch reflex （ tendon reflexes ）：

muscle 、 tendon

posterior roots

α-motor neurons

anterior roots

Muscle contraction

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 Flexor Reflexes

skin

posterior roots

posterior horn

interneurons neuron

α-motor neurons

anterior roots

Muscle contraction

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 Clinical Consideration

The spinal cord transection

spinal shock
Hemisection of the spinal cord
Brown-Se´quard syndrome
Lesion of anterior horn of the spinal cord
flaccid paralysis
Lesion around the central gray matter
peripheral dissociation

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