Anatomy and Cell Biology 3319 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Dorsal Root Ganglion, Conus Medullaris, Cauda Equina
11 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
As we learn about the spinal cord think about what kinds of motor outputs/sensory inputs would be lost if certain sections were to be severed. Know the cross-sectional anatomy of the spinal cord, including the differences at each level and the sensory and motor input and output organization. Segments of spinal cord: (8) cervical, (12) thoracic, (5) lumbar, (5) sacral: each segment is divided into smaller segments each containing 2 spinal nerves which pass in between 2 vertebra, 31 segments total (1 coccygeal) Cervical/lumbar enlargements formed from extra innervations with the upper and lower limbs respectively. End of the spinal cord is called the conus medullaris. Filium terminale connects the spinal cord to the coccyx; serves as an anchor. Spinal nerves from lumbar/sacral regions exit much lower in vertebra fanning out like a horse"s tail cauda equina. The spinal cord lies within the vertebral canal. However, it only extends as far as lumbar vertebra l1 or l2.
