BIOL 030 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Dura Mater, Filum Terminale, Pia Mater
22 Dec 2020
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Document Summary
Facilitates communication between the cns and pns, as spinal nerves exit the spinal cord to supply sensory and motor innervations to regions close to the level of exit. The spinal cord begins at the foramen magnum. It extends inferiorly to the level of l2, known as the conus medullaris. Inferior to l2, the axons emerging from the spinal cord are known as the cauda equine. Within the cauda equine, a small thin strand of pia mater anchors the spinal cord to the sacrum, known as the filum terminale. The regions of the spinal cord are named according to the regions of the overlaying vertebral column. The spinal cord is enlarged at the cervical and lumbar levels. These enlargements occur because of the additional nerves exiting the spinal cord that supply the limbs. It is important to note that the cervical enlargement supplies innervation to the upper limb, while the lumbar enlargement serves the lower limb.
