Spinal Cord, Spinal Nerves and Autonomic Nervous System

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord extends from the foramen magnum to the inferior border of the first lumbar vertebra. Visible features of the spinal cord include:

shallow lon itudinal roove on the dorsal surface.

!osterior median sulcus

" deep crease on the ventral surface.

Anterior median fissure

" alon the len th of the spinal cord the re ions devoted to processin information associated with the limbs are enlar ed. These include: # " $ supplies nerves to the upper limb and !ectoral irdle # $ # " $ " supplies nerves to the lower limbs and pelvic irdle.

%nlar ement Cervical %nlar ement C&' T( )umbosacral a*a lumbar %nlar ement )+'S,

The conical end of the spinal cord.

Conus medullaris

slender thread of fibrous pia mater that extends from the tip of the spinal cord and anchors it lon itudinally.

-ilum terminale

" The spinal cord stops rowin before the vertebral column. As a result the dorsal and ventral roots continue to row as their exit points move further away. This collection of roots within the vertebral column at this point form the .

Cauda %.uina

Spinal Cord Se ments

There are ,( spinal cord se ments, cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccy eal se ments.

/ cervical, (+ thoracic, & lumbar, & sacral and ( coccy eal se ments.

%ach se ment is associated with the pair of spinal nerves that arise from it.

The spinal nerves result from the fusion of and .

0orsal and Ventral 1oots

The roots themselves result from the fusion of that extend from either side of each spinal se ment

1ootlets

The dorsal and ventral roots exit the vertebral column throu h the .

2ntervetebral -oramina

At the exit point there is a that contains the cell bodies of the sensory neurons found in the dorsal root.

0orsal 1oot 3an lion

The ventral root which contains , fuses with the dorsal root distal to the ganglion to form the .

4otor Neurons Spinal Nerve

The are speciali5ed membranes that provide protection, physical stability and shoc* absorption within the bony vertebral canal.

Spinal menin es

The outer layer consists of dense irre ular connective tissue.

0ura 4ater

6etween the dura mater and the inner wall of the vertebral canal there is an containin areolar connective tissue, adipose tissue and blood vessels.

%pidural Space

The dura mater is attached cranially to the at the mar in of the and tapers distally to form the that attaches to the periosteum of the sacrum and coccyx.

!eriosteum -oramen 4a num Coccy eal )i ament

The is the middle menin eal layer and consists of a simple squamous epithelium that attaches directly to the inside of the dura mater.

Arachnoid 4ater

2t is separated by the that contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the .

Subarachnoid Space !ia 4ater

The space between the arachnoid and pia mater is also spanned by colla en and elastic fibers that form bundles of fibers called .

Arachnoid Trabeculae

The innermost menin eal layer consists of colla en and elastic fibers that adhere closely to the contours of the nervous tissue.

!ia mater

Lateral extensions of the pia mater and arachnoid mater between the dorsal and ventral roots attach to the dura mater and are called . The prevent side to side and inferior movement of the spinal cord.

0enticulate )i aments

Sectional Anatomy of the Spinal Cord

A narrow runs throu h the center of the spinal cord.

Central Canal

is deep within the cord in the shape of an 7H8 with the cross bar of the H lyin over the central canal.

3rey 4atter

# $ of ray matter that contain somatic and visceral sensory nuclei.

posterior #dorsal$ pro9ections

# $ of ray matter that contain the cell bodies of somatic motor neurons.

anterior #ventral$ pro9ections

of ray matter in spinal segments ! to L" that contain visceral motor neurons.

)ateral ray horns

forms the cross bar of the : and contains axons crossin over from one side to the other.

3rey Commissures

is superficial with respect to ray matter and is divided into re ions by the posterior and anterior ray horns.

;hite 4atter

The ma9or re ions are:

" between the posterior median sulcus and posterior ray horns. " between the anterior median fissure and the anterior ray horns. between the anterior and posterior ray horns. "

!osterior white columns Anterior white columns )ateral white columns

;ithin the columns, collections of axons performin a similar function forms a .

Tract

Tracts that carry sensory information to the brain are .

Ascendin Tracts

Tracts that carry motor information to the spinal cord are .

0escendin Tracts

Spinal Nerves

!eripheral nerves have three layers of connective tissue:

is the outermost layer of connective tissue that is continuous with the dura mater. 2t also includes the connective tissue in between any fascicles #bundles$ within the nerve.

%pineurium

is the connective tissue sheath that surrounds a fascicle of axons.

!erineurium

is the delicate connective tissue fibers that surround individual axons.

%ndoneurium

!eripheral 0istribution of Spinal Nerves

After the dorsal and ventral roots of the spinal se ment fuses the spinal nerve divides into several branches:

" is the branch that innervates the s#in and muscles of the nec# and bac#.

0orsal ramus

' is the lar er branch that innervates the ventrolateral body surface and the limbs

Ventral ramus

the

and first

rami communicantes associated with the nervous system

have

thoracic and first two lumbar spinal nerves autonomic

The sensory fibers of each spinal se ment collect information about a specific re ion of the body surface called a .

#sin . ramus communicans$ ' the thoracic and first two lumbar spinal nerves have rami communicantes #communicatin branches$ associated with the autonomic nervous system.

1ami communicantes

0ermatome

)oss of sensation in a can be used to dia nose nerve or spinal cord dama e.

dermatome

Nerve !lexuses

2n the spinal se ments controllin the skeletal muscle of the neck and the limbs, the do not remain separate.

Ventral 1ami

2nstead, the fibers of nei hborin ventral rami fuse and divide to form interwoven networ*s of nerves called .

Nerve !lexuses

There are four nerve plexuses:

forms from the ventral rami of spinal nerves C! $ C% and some fibers from C&. The innervates the diaphra m and arises from this plexus.

Cervical plexus !hrenic Nerve

is a lar e and complex plexus that innervates the pectoral girdle and upper limb with contributions from the ventral rami of C& to !.

6rachial !lexus

The nerves that arise from the brachial plexus include the , , , and nerves.

axillary, musculocutaneous, median, ulnar and radial nerves

is formed by the ventral rami of T(+ " )<.

)umbar !lexus

The is a ma9or nerve that arises from the lumbar plexus.

-emoral nerve

contains fibers from the ventral rami of L% $ S%.

Sacral !lexus

The ma9or nerve of the sacral plexus.

is a

Sciatic Nerve

1eflexes

A is an immediate involuntary response to a stimulus that never varies.

1eflex

The pathway that impulses follow to produce the response is called the .

1eflex Arc

The reflex arc can be divided into the followin steps: Step ( " Activation of a stimulus. by a

Step + " 2nformation is carried to the CNS in the form of an impulse that travels alon a # $ . Step ,. The information is processed within the CNS by . Step <. 4otor neurons are stimulated to conduct an impulse alon an fiber to the periphery. Step &. The impulse arrives at an that produces the response.

1eceptor Sensory #afferent$ fiber 2nterneurons %fferent %ffector or an

4onosynaptic reflexes

The simplest reflex arc involves only , a sensory and motor neuron with a between them.

Two neurons Sin le synapse

The is a simple monosynaptic reflex which enables a muscle to automatically ad9ust tone in response to stretching.

Stretch 1eflex

The most familiar stretch reflex is the # ' $ .

!atellar #*nee'9er*$ reflex

A sharp tap on the patellar li ament activates stretch receptors in the muscle. The .uic*ly produces a contraction in the same muscle that results in a noticeable *ic*.

=uadriceps -emoris 4uscle 4onosynaptic reflex arc

These reflexes involve interneurons and can be very complicated dependin on the number of interneurons.

!olysynaptic reflexes

The withdrawal reflex from a painful stimulus is an example of a .

!olysynaptic 1eflex

The

coordinates vital functions associated with cardiovascular, respiratory, di estive, excretory and reproductive functions that are out of our voluntary control.

Autonomic Nervous System

Two neurons, connected in series, sends out the motor command. The first neuron is and has its cell body within the central nervous system. The second neuron in the chain is and has its cell bodies outside of the central nervous system in a ganglion.

!re an lionic an lionic

Subdivisions of the ANS There are two ma9or subdivisions of the ANS

This division is called the 7fi ht or fli ht8 division and prepares the body for exertion, or stress by increasin tissue metabolism

Sympathetic 0ivision

This division is called the 7rest and repose8 system and promotes activities that conserves or increases ener y such as di estion.

!arasympathetic 0ivision

The sympathetic division is also called the because it pre an lionic neurons are located in the spinal cord segments ! to L" in the .

Thoracolumbar division )ateral ray horns

The preganglionic neurons synapse with ganglionic neurons in ganglia near the . These include:

Vertebral Column

these an lia lie anterior to the vertebral column and innervate effectors in the abdominal pelvic cavity.

Collateral an lia

the core of the adrenal gland represents a modified sympathetic an lion.

Adrenal 4edulla

This division is also called the craniosacral division because pre an lionic neurons are located in the brainstem and in the spinal cord se ments S+ " S<.

!arasympathetic 0ivision

The pre an lionic neurons of the are associated with cranial nerves , , and .

6rainstem

222, V22, 2> and >.

The an lionic neurons in the peripheral an lion are located very close to or within the tar et or ans.