What is the anatomy and physiology of the spinal cord?

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the medulla oblongata of the brain to the level of the lumbar region. The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system (CNS).

What is spinal cord with diagram?

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column. It encloses the central canal of the spinal cord, which contains cerebrospinal fluid….

Spinal cord
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Anatomical terminology

What is the general structure of spinal cord?

The spinal cord is a cylindrical structure of nervous tissue composed of white and gray matter, is uniformly organized and is divided into four regions: cervical (C), thoracic (T), lumbar (L) and sacral (S), (Figure 3.1), each of which is comprised of several segments.

What are the 5 segments of the spinal cord?

As mentioned above, our vertebrae are numbered and divided into five regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx.

What is the structure and function of the spinal cord?

Spinal cord and nerves: The spinal cord is a column of nerves that travels through the spinal canal. The cord extends from the skull to the lower back. Thirty-one pairs of nerves branch out through vertebral openings (the neural foramen). These nerves carry messages between the brain and muscles.

What is spinal cord structure and function?

What is the structure and function of spinal cord?

What are the 4 functions of the spinal cord?

What does the spinal cord do?

  • Motor Functions – directs your body’s voluntary muscle movements.
  • Sensory Functions – monitors sensation of touch, pressure, temperature and pain.
  • Autonomic Functions – regulates digestion, urination, body temperature, heart rate, and dilation/contraction of blood vessels (blood pressure).

What are the 4 main functions of the spine?

Your spine, or backbone, is your body’s central support structure. It connects different parts of your musculoskeletal system. Your spine helps you sit, stand, walk, twist and bend. Back injuries, spinal cord conditions and other problems can damage the spine and cause back pain.

How would you describe the spinal cord?

Key Takeaways: Spinal Cord Anatomy The spinal cord is a bundle of nerve fibers that extend from the brain stem down the spinal column to the lower back. The spinal cord is composed of neurons that send and receive signals along tracts towards and away from the brain. There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, each pair with a sensory root and a motor root.

What is the spinal cord’s main job?

The spinal cord is the main route for information to be transported to the brain from the peripheral nervous system . Together with the brain, the spinal cord composes the central nervous system . The cord resides within a tunnel of bones called vertebrae. The vertebrae help protect this vital part of the human anatomy.

How to describe the function of the spinal cord?

It is a highway of communication from the brain,sending messages to other parts of the body including instructing muscles that control movement.

  • It also carries sensory information back to the brain.
  • It controls reflexive or involuntary actions such as the beat of your heart or adjusting your eyes to an external stimulus such as a bright light.
  • What is the main function of spinal cord?

    The main function of the spinal cord is transmission of neural inputs between the periphery and the brain. The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nerves that is an extension of the central nervous system from the brain and is enclosed in and protected by the bony vertebral column.