PART two
Protective Coverings
of Spinal Cord
• SPINAL CORD
• SPINAL NERVES
SPINAL CORD
• a mass of nerve tissue
located in the vertebral
cavity from which 31 pairs of
spinal nerves originate
• transmits impulses to &
from the brain
• integrating center for spinal
reflexes
VERTEBRAL COLUMN
• bony structure protecting
the spinal cord
MENINGES
• singular: meninx
• layers of connective tissue
coverings that extend around
the spinal cord & brain
a. dura mater
• the outermost of the three
layers of the meninges
• made of fibrous irregular
connective tissue
•
✓ the space bet. the dura
mater & vertebral
column
✓ contains a cushion of fat
& conn. tiss. that help
protect the spinal cord
b. Arachnoid mater
• the middle layer of the
meninges
• composed of collagen & elastic
fibers arranged like a “spider’s
web”
•
✓ the space bet. arachnoid
mater & dura mater
✓ contains interstitial fluid

c. Pia mater
• the innermost meninx
• a thin, transparent layer of
collagen & elastic fibers that
adheres to the surface of the
spinal cord & brain
• has numerous blood vessels
•
✓ the space bet. Pia mater
& arachnoid mater
✓ where cerebrospinal fluid
(CSF) circulates
External Structure of
Spinal Cord

SEGMENTS
• are named after adjacent
vertebrae

LENGTH
• it extends from the medulla
oblongata, the inferior part
of the brain, to the superior
border of 2nd lumbar
vertebra.

CAUDA EQUINA
• “horse’s tail”
• an array of roots of spinal
nerves at the inferior end of
the spinal cord

ENLARGEMENTS
•
✓ contains nerves that
supply the upper limbs
•
✓ contains nerves that
supply the lower limbs
internal Structure of
Spinal Cord
CENTRAL CANAL
• a small space that extends
the length of the cord &
contains CSF
• continuous with the fourth
ventricle (a space that
contains CSF in the medulla
oblongata of the brain)
WHITE MATTER
• contains bundles of
myelinated nerve fibers
ascending and descending
through the spinal cord in
separate tracts
GRAY MATTER
• surrounded by white matter
• receives & integrates
incoming & outgoing
information & is a site for
integration of reflexes
HORNS
• an H-shaped or butterfly-
shaped area of gray matter
in the spinal cord
• made up of cell bodies
clustered into nuclei
•
✓ contain cell bodies of
somatic motor neurons
•
✓ contain cell bodies of
autonomic motor
neurons
✓ only found in the
thoracic & upper
lumbar segments of the
cord
•
✓ contain cell bodies of
somatic & autonomic
sensory neurons
COLUMN
• group of white matter tracts
in the spinal cord
• contain both ascending
(sensory) & descending
(motor) tracts
ASCENDING (SENSORY) TRACTS
• consist of myelinated axons
that conduct nerve impulses
upward or toward the brain

DESCENDING (MOTOR) TRACTS

• consist of myelinated axons
that carry nerve impulses
from the brain down the
spinal cord
 SPINAL NERVES
• part of the PNS
• 31 pairs of nerves that
connect spinal cord and
nerves that serve specific
body regions
• are mixed nerves
internal Structure of
Spinal Cord
ROOTS
• two bundles of axons that
connect each spinal nerve to
a segment of the cord
•
✓ contains motor nerve
fibers/axons that
conduct impulses from
the CNS to muscles &
glands
• • spinal nerves
✓ contains sensory nerve
fibers/axons that
conduct nerve impulses
for sensations from the
skin, muscles, & internal
organs into the CNS
•
✓ a swelling found on each
posterior root that
contains the cell bodies
of sensory neurons
ATLAS
• the portion of the vertebral
column from which the first
cervical pair of spinal nerves
emerge
INTERVERTEBRAL FORAMINA
• portion of the vertebral
column from which the other
spinal nerves emerge
DERMATOME
• an area of skin that provides
sensory input to the CNS via
the posterior roots of one
pair of
PLEXUS
• a network of nerves formed
from the branching of spinal
nerves

Major Plexuses and
Nerves
CERVICAL PLEXUS
• formed by spinal nerves C1 to
C4
• innervates the skin & muscles
of the posterior head, neck,
upper part of the shoulders,
and the diaphragm
BRACHIAL PLEXUS
• formed by spinal nerves C5
to T1
• innervates the upper limbs &
several neck & shoulder
muscles
• where the median, ulnar &
radial nerves arise
RADIAL NERVE
• arises from brachial plexus
• innervates the skin & muscles
of posterior arm, forearm, &
hand
• may be injured by a faulty
deltoid injection, tight arm
cast or improper use of
crutches
 INTERCOSTAL NERVES
• refer to spinal nerves T2 to
T11 that do not form plexuses
• extend directly to the
structures they supply:
intercostal muscles,
abdominal muscles & skin of
the chest and back

MEDIAN NERVE
• arises from brachial plexus
• innervates the skin & muscles
of anterior arm, forearm, &
hand
• is affected in carpal tunnel
syndrome & often cut during
wrist-slashing suicide
attempts

LUMBAR PLEXUS
• formed by spinal nerves L1 to
L4
• innervates the abdominal
wall, external genitals, and
part of the lower limbs
• where the femoral nerve
arises
 SCIATIC NERVE
• arises from sacral plexus
• thickest & longest nerve of
the body
• innervates skin & muscles of
posterior thigh, leg & foot
• has two main branches: tibial
nerve & common fibular
nerve
• may be injured by a faulty
gluteal injection

SACRAL PLEXUS
• formed by spinal nerves L4
to S4
• also called “lumbosacral
plexus”
• innervates the buttocks,
perineum, & lower limbs

Terms related to
Spinal Cord

SACRAL
SACRAL PLEXUS
PLEXUS
• the route that nerve impulses
follow from a neuron in one
part of the body to other
neurons elsewhere in the
body
 Terms related to
Spinal Cord

REFLEX
• a fast, involuntary sequence
of actions that occurs in
response to a particular
stimulus

SPINAL REFLEX
• refers to a reflex wherein
integration takes place in the
spinal cord gray matter

CRANIAL REFLEX
• integration of reflex occurs
in the brain stem rather than
the spinal
• cord
REFLEX ARC
• a pathway followed by nerve
impulses that produce a
reflex

SOMATIC REFLEX
• effector is a skeletal muscle
• e.g., patellar & triceps reflex

SOMATIC REFLEX
• effector is a smooth muscle
or gland; ex. swallowing
• e.g., patellar & triceps reflex