Spinal cord: The spinal cord is a bundle of nerve cells and fibers wrapped together extending down from

the brain stem to the lower back. The cord is protected by a kind of bone tunnel made up of vertebrae which are separated by membranes called discs. The brain sends electrical signals through the spinal cord, giving instructions to the legs, arms, and other areas of the body. There are thirty-one pairs of peripheral spinal nerves connected to the spinal cord. Vertebrae There are 33 vertebrae that make up the bone structure of the spinal column, with the last four being fused together to make the tailbone. Discs Each vertebrae is separated by a soft bone substance, called a disc, which acts as a cushion and a seal at the same time.

The spine is arranged in three natural curves:

1.

The neck region or cervical spine: It is made up of 7 vertebrae - where the vertebrae curve forward. The cervical bones are designed to allow flexion, extension, bending, and turning of the head.

2.

The trunk region or thoracic spine: It is made up of 12 vertebrae In the chest region the thoracic spine attaches to the ribs. The spinal canal in the thoracic region is relatively smaller than the cervical or lumbar areas. This makes the thoracic spinal cord at greater risk if there is a fracture. The motion that occurs in the thoracic spine is mostly rotation. The ribs prevent bending to the side. A small amount of movement occurs in bending forward and backward. The low back region or lumbar spine: It is made up of 5 vertebrae. The lumbar vertebrae are large, wide, and thick. The main motions of the lumbar area are bending forward and extending backwards. Bending to the side also occurs.

y y

3.

The interior of the spinal cord looks gray because it is filled with neurons without having myelin sheath in their axons (unmyelinated axons). Which means the interior of the spinal cord is filled with some gray matter. The gray matter is "H" shaped.

The outer of the spinal cord looks white as it is filled with some myelinated axons, in other words, the outer of the spinal cord is filled with some white matter. The spinal cord has two major functions: (a) carrying informationThe chief function of the gray part of the spinal cord is integrative i.e., It carries sensory information from various parts of the body to the brain. Whereas the chief function of the white part is communicative in nature i.e., it carries information from brain to various parts of the body. (b) Coordinating reflexes or Reflex Actions spinal cord coordinates reflexes without the involvement of brain. In order to control reflex actions, the spinal cord does not take any assistance from the brain. Reflex actions are automatic, unlearned, involuntary, and inborn responses. Therefore, these actions are sudden in nature and have a purpose of protecting the individual or his organs from sudden danger. The path through which reflex action is conducted is known as "reflex arc",

Meninges The meninges are three membranous layers that surround the structures of the central nervous system. They include the dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the pia mater. Together they cushion the brain and spinal cord with cerebrospinal fluid and support the associated vascular structures.

Dura matter The outermost of the three meninges is the dura mater. A strong, thick, and dense membrane. It is composed of dense fibrous tissue. Within the skull the dura mater surrounds and supports the large venous channels (dural sinuses) carrying blood from the brain toward the heart. It also is prolonged into several partitions, or septa, which lend support to the brain. One of these, the falx cerebri, is a sickle-shaped partition lying between the two hemispheres of the brain. Another, the tentorium cerebelli, provides a strong, membranous roof over the cerebellum. A third, the falx cerebelli, projects downward from the tentorium cerebelli between the two cerebral hemispheres.

The outer portion of the dura mater over the brain serves as a covering. Archnoid mater: It is a thin, transparent membrane. It lies between dura and pia mater. The space between arachnoid matter and pia matter is called as subarachnoid space. This space contains the cerebrospinal fluid. Pia matter: It is the innermost layer. It closely covers the brain and spinal cord. Also it dips into the fissures of brain. It contains the minute blood vessels which supply the brain and spinal cord.