ch 13 learnsmart
The spinothalamic tract is found in which columns of the spinal cord?
Anterior and lateral
Place the spinal cord regions in order from superior to inferior.
cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral
What are the regions of the spinal cord?
cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral
What is the dural sheath around the spinal cord made of?
dural mater
site of synaptic integration in the spinal cord?
gray matter
The third-order neurons of the spinoreticular tract runs from the ______ to the thalamus.
pons
The anterior horns of the spinal cord contain the somas of which neurons?
somatic motor
Signals for proprioception are carried by the anterior and posterior ____ tract.
spinocerebellar
Signals for proprioception are carried by the anterior and posterior ____ tract
spinocerebellum
Consider the two motor neurons that form descending pathways. The neurons called the __ motor neurons have their somas in the cerebral cortex or brainstem.
upper
In descending pathways, which motor neurons have their somas in the cerebral cortex or brainstem?
upper
____ matter is composed of myelinated and unmyelinated axons and is superficial to the gray matter of the spinal cord.
white
The number of neurons in a descending pathway is
2
How many neurons are typically found in an ascending pathway between the receptor and the brain?
3
Each spinal cord segment gives rise to a pair of spinal nerves. How many pairs of spinal nerves are typically present in an adult?
31
What is the gray commissure of the spinal cord?
A band of gray matter connecting the gray matter of the left side with the gray matter of the right side
The lateral horns of the spinal cord contain somas of which neurons?
Sympathetic motor
What are the three funiculi of white matter found in the spinal cord?
Ventral funiculus Posterior funiculus Lateral funiculus
Which horns of the spinal cord contain the cell bodies of outgoing somatic motor neurons?
anterior
Pain during childbirth is often managed by injecting an anesthetic into which space?
epidurial
The _____ space is located between the vertebrae and the dural sheath around the spinal cord.
epidurial
In descending pathways, the upper motor neurons synapse with ______ motor neurons in the brainstem or spinal cord.
lower
In descending tracts, which motor neuron innervates the target organ?
lower
The ______ motor neurons (which are the motor neurons connecting the brainstem and spinal cord to muscle fibers) of the descending pathway innervate skeletal muscle.
lower
In the spinothalamic tract, the ______ -order neurons decussate from the posterior horn of the spinal cord.
second
Each pair of spinal nerves serves a part of the spinal cord called a spinal
segment
Which pathways are made up of three neurons?
sensory
What is a fasciculus in the spinal cord?
A tract of nerve fibers within a funiculus
Which spinal cord areas are composed of gray matter?
Anterior horn Gray commissure Posterior horn
Which meninx consists of several layers of squamous epithelial cells with a mesh of fibers in the adjoining space?
Arachnoid mater
Where is the epidural space around the spinal cord?
Between the vertebral bones and the dural sheath
What is the white matter of the spinal cord?
Bundles of myelinated and unmyelinated axons found superficial to the gray matter
Where do signals ascending through the spinocerebellar tract terminate?
Cerebellum
In the spinoreticular tract, the second order neurons decussate to where?
Contralateral anterolateral system
Which tract carries signals for precise, finely coordinated limb movements?
Corticospinal
Which are extensions of the pia mater that anchor the spinal cord?
Denticulate ligaments
What is the order of the meninges from superficial to deep?
Dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
How are the spinal cord regions named?
For the level of vertebral column from which its spinal nerves emerge
What structure marks the superior end of the spinal cord?
Foramen magnum
Where is the origin of sensory signals carried by the cuneate fasciculus?
From vertebra T6 and up
Where does the first-order neuron of the spinothalamic tracts end?
In the posterior horn at the point of entry
In an adult, the spinal cord ends at which vertebra?
L1
Which are functions of the spinal cord?
Locomotion Reflexes Conduction
What is the name of the hollow space that contains the cauda equina and cerebrospinal fluid?
Lumbar cistern
In which does cerebrospinal fluid circulate?
Subarachnoid space
The lateral gray horns of the spinal cord are found in which segments of the spinal cord?
T2 to L1
The coccygeal ligament is formed from the fusion of which two structures?
Terminal filum and dura mater
What is the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord?
The area of the spinal cord that gives rise to the nerves of the lower limbs and pelvis
What is the cervical enlargement of the spinal cord?
The area of the spinal cord that gives rise to the nerves of the upper limbs
What is the posterior median sulcus of the spinal cord?
The longitudinal groove on the dorsal surface of the spinal cord
What is the subarachnoid space?
The space between the arachnoid mater and pia mater
The spinoreticular tract is part of the ___ system in the anterior and lateral columns.
anterolateral
The spinothalamic tract is part of the ______ system in the anterior and lateral columns.
anterolateral
___ mater is just below (deep to) the dura mater.
arachnoid
Within the spinal cord, which tracts carry information up to the brain?
ascending
What is the cauda equina?
bundle of nerve roots that occupy the vertebral canal from L2 to S5
The bundle of nerves inferior to the medullary cone of the spinal cord is called the
cauda equina
In the spinal cord, what is the space within the gray commissure that contains CSF?
central canal
What does the central canal of the spinal cord contain?
cerebrospinal fluid
The superior most region of the spinal cord is the ______ region.
cervical
Which ligament is formed by the fusion of the lumbar cistern and dura mater?
coccygeal
The spinal cord contains ascending and descending nerve fibers that send information between the CNS and the periphery. This illustrates which function of the spinal cord?
conduction
Since the corticospinal tracts decussate, innervation to the muscles will be across the body or
contralateral
Which tract will have its origin and destination of opposite sides of the body?
contralateral
The ___ tract carries signals for precise, finely coordinated limb movements.
corticospinal
The ______ tract is also called the pyramidal tract.
corticospinal
The nerve fibers of which tract form ridges called pyramids on the anterior surface of the medulla?
corticospinal
Because the nerve tracts of the spinal cord undergo ____, the right side of the brain communicates with the left side of the body, and vice versa.
decussation
The dural sheath around the spinal cord is formed from the ___ mater.
dura
A ______ is a tract of nerve fibers within a column of the spinal cord.
fasciculus
Which order neurons of the spinocerebellar tract originate at muscles and tendons?
first
In a sensory pathway, which neuron detects the stimulus and transmits the signal to the spinal cord or brainstem?
first order
Which order neuron of the spinothalamic tract ends in the posterior horn at the point of entry to the spinal cord?
first order
The nerve fibers of the gracile fasciculus terminate at the ____ nucleus of the medulla oblongata.
gracile
The ____ matter of the spinal cord contains the synapses and therefore is the site of synaptic integration.
gray
Where are the neuron cell bodies, dendrites, and synapses found in the CNS?
gray matter
Fibers from the cuneate fasciculus end on the ______ side of the medulla oblongata.
ipsilateral
Which nerve tracts do not decussate?
ipsilateral
In which column of the spinal cord is the anterior spinocerebellar tract found?
lateral
The ______ is the tapered end of the spinal cord.
medullary cone
The ______ are a series of fibrous connective tissue membranes covering the central nervous system.
meninges
The anterior horns of the spinal cord contain somas of somatic ______ neurons.
motor
Within the spinal cord, what type of information do the descending tracts carry?
motor
What does ipsilateral mean?
on the same side of the body
The spinoreticular tract carries what type of signals?
pain
The ___ mater is the meningeal layer that is closely associated with the contours of the spinal cord.
pia
The denticulate ligaments are extensions of which meninx?
pia mater
Which layer of the meninges is the most delicate and is composed of one or two layers of squamous to cuboidal cells and delicate collagenous and elastic fibers?
pia mater
Which meninx forms the terminal filum?
pia mater
The cuneate fasciculus is located in the ______ column of the spinal cord.
posterior
The _____ median sulcus is a longitudinal groove on the dorsal surface of the spinal cord.
posterior/dorsal
The second-order neurons of the spinoreticular tract terminate in the ____ formation of the brainstem.
reticular
Where do the second-order neurons of the spinoreticular tract terminate?
reticular formation
The lateral and medial _______, tracts originate in the reticular formation.
reticulospinal, spinoreticular
The space between the arachnoid mater and pia mater is called the ____ space.
subarachnoid
Where is the white matter in the spinal cord?
superficial to the gray matter
Where do the third-order neurons of the spinoreticular tract run from the pons to?
thalamus
In a sensory pathway, which neurons run from the thalamus to the sensory cerebral cortex?
third-order
What is a bundle of nerve fibers within the white matter of the spinal cord called?
tract
In the CNS, bundles of axons that make up white matter are called
tracts