Spinal Cord

The spinal cord extends from the foramen magnum at the base of the
skull to the level of the first lumbar vertebra.
The cord is continuous with the medulla oblongata at the foramen
magnum. Like the brain, the spinal cord is surrounded by bone,
meninges, and cerebrospinal fluid.
The spinal cord is divided into 31 segments with each segment giving
rise to a pair of spinal nerves.
At the distal end of the cord, many spinal nerves extend beyond the
conus medullaris to form a collection that resembles a horse's tail. This
is the cauda equina.
In cross section, the spinal cord appears oval in shape.
The spinal cord has two main functions:
Serving as a conduction pathway for impulses going to and from
the brain. Sensory impulses travel to the brain on ascending
tracts in the cord. Motor impulses travel on descending tracts.
Serving as a reflex center. The reflex arc is the functional unit of
the nervous system. Reflexes are responses to stimuli that do not
require conscious thought and consequently, they occur more
quickly than reactions that require thought processes. For
example, with the withdrawal reflex, the reflex action withdraws
the affected part before you are aware of the pain. Many reflexes
are mediated in the spinal cord without going to the higher brain
centers

Central Nervous System:

The Spinal Cord

CNS tissue is enclosed within the vertebral column from the

foramen magnum to L1

Provides two-way communication to and from the brain

Protected by bone, meninges, and CSF

Epidural space space between the vertebrae and the

dural sheath (dura mater) filled with fat and a network of veins

Conus medullaris terminal portion of the spinal cord

Filum terminale fibrous extension of the pia mater;

anchors the spinal cord to the coccyx

Denticulate ligaments delicate shelves of pia mater;

attach the spinal cord to the vertebrae

Spinal nerves 31 pairs attach to the cord by paired roots

Cervical and lumbar enlargements sites where nerves

serving the upper and lower limbs emerge

Cauda equina collection of nerve roots at the inferior end

of the vertebral canal

Embryonic Development of the Spinal Cord

Alar plate will become interneurons

Basal plate will become motor neurons

Develops from caudal portion of neural tube

By week 6, there are two clusters of neuroblasts:

Neural crest cells form the dorsal root ganglia

Cross-Sectional Anatomy of the Spinal Cord

Anterior median fissure separates anterior funiculi

Posterior median sulcus divides posterior funiculi

Gray Matter and Spinal Roots

Gray matter consists of soma, unmyelinated processes, and

neuroglia

Gray commissure connects masses of gray matter;

encloses central canal

Anterior (ventral) horns interneurons and somatic motor

neurons

Posterior (dorsal) horns interneurons

Lateral horns contain sympathetic nerve fibers

Gray Matter: Organization

Dorsal half sensory roots and ganglia

Ventral half motor roots

Dorsal and ventral roots fuse laterally to form spinal nerves

Four zones are evident within the gray matter somatic

sensory (SS), visceral sensory (VS), visceral motor (VM), and
somatic motor (SM)
White Matter in the Spinal Cord

Fibers run in three directions ascending, descending, and

transversely

Divided into three funiculi (columns) posterior, lateral,

and anterior

Fiber tract names reveal their origin and destination

Fiber tracts are composed of axons with similar functions

Each funiculus contains several fiber tracks

White Matter: Pathway Generalizations

Pathways decussate
Most consist of two or three neurons

Pathways are paired (one on each side of the spinal cord or

brain)

Most exhibit somatotopy (precise spatial relationships)

Ascending pathways
anterolateral (nonspecific ascending) pathways
lateral and anterior spinothalamic tracts
medial lemniscal system (specific ascending
pathways)
dorsal white column
fasciculus cuneatus
fasciculus gracilis
anterior and posterior spinocerebellar tracts
Descending pathways
pyramidal system
lateral and anterior corticospinal tracts
extrapyramidal system
tectospinal tracts
vestibulospinal tracts
rubrospinal tracts
anterior, medial, and lateral reticulospinal tracts