Lab 4: Spinal Cord

By: Elizabeth Jean

     The spinal cord is a cylindrical shape of the central nervous system that makes up the nervous tissue. It's connected to the brain, there are different segments such as cervical spinal nerves (C1-C8, ventral horn enlargement), thoracic spinal nerves (T1-T12, small ventral horns, lateral horns), lumbar spinal nerves (L1 to L5, large ventral horns), sacral spinal nerves (S1-S5, large ventral horns, smallest section of spinal cord), coccygeal spinal nerves (1 pair) and it consist of 31 pairs of spinal nerves.

     The spinal cord carriers nerve impulses between the brain and the spinal nerves. The cervical spinal nerves (C1-C8) control signals to the head, neck, shoulders, arms and hands. Thoracic spinal nerves (T1-T12) control signals to the chest muscles, some muscles of the back, and parts of the upper abdomen. Lumbar spinal nerves (L1-L5) controls signals of the lower back and legs. Sacral spinal nerves (S1-S5) controls the legs, feet, and gential areas of the body. Coccygeal spinal nerves transmits signal from the skin of the lower back.

     In the spinal cord their are white matter (axons) and gray matter (neurons). White matter primary tracts are dorsal column (ascending, ipsilateral), anterolateral system (ascending, contralateral) and corticospinal tract (descending, ipsilaternal). The overall is that ascending tracts relay information from each segmental spinal cord level to the brain, while the descending tracts relay information from the brain to each segmental spinal cord level. The ascending azons (pain, temp, touch), and the white matter increases as we ascend. The descending axons (pathways for muscles) and the white matter decreases as we descend. Gray matter primary tracts are dorsal horn (processing and relaying sensory information), ventral horn (motor output), and intermediate horn (T1-L2/L3,visceral motor output).

     Overall, the spinal cord three main functions of the spine are to protect the spinal cord, nerve roots and several of the body's internal organs, provide structural supports and balance to maintain an upright posture and movements. Examples, walking, hand motion, stomach, hip and much more. We naturally don't think about how am I able to do these movements without thinking about it, we just do it. It gets harder to do the movements if we had a spinal injury and it will cause an area/areas of our segments to be damaged.

URL:

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=kiof1Dvo&id=4EFA3D1AD138E7FED45DD6D9585CD018F9851709&thid=OIP.kiof1DvouXv1uRAoYreNkgHaES&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fi0.wp.com%2fpeople.eku.edu%2fritchisong%2fspinalcord5.gif&exph=312&expw=538&q=pictures+of+the+interior+of+the+spinal+cord&simid=608039975572146954&selectedIndex=7&ajaxhist=0

http://neurones.co.uk/Neurosciences/Images/2/Spinal_cord%20segmetal%20levels.jpg

https://images.app.goo.gl/YQUhWPga38zTXsKp9

https://www.thoughtco.com/the-spinal-cord-373189

https://www.spinesurgeon.com.au/neurological-conditions/spinal-surgery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoo7IIjZeWg

https://healthengine.com.au/info/spinal-cord#C14

https://healthengine.com.au/info/spinal-cord#C14