Somatic Motor System

What do the motor neurons consist of?

• Spinal nerves — anterior horn of spinal cord. These are located in the brain and spinal cord and send signals to the lower motor neurons.

• Cranial nerves — motor nuclei in brainstem. These are found in the spinal cord or brainstem and directly connect to the muscles to cause movement.

Motor neurons are the nerve cells responsible for carrying signals from the brain and spinal cord to ____.

muscles

Motor neurons are the nerve cells responsible for carrying signals from the brain and spinal cord to muscles. They are part of the somatic nervous system, which controls _____ movements.

voluntary

What are motor control centers?

These are various regions of the brain that help plan, initiate, and control voluntary movements. These are motor areas of the:

• Cerebral cortex

• Basal nuclei

• Cerebellum

• Brainstem centers

• Spinal cord

The motor system uses specific pathways to transmit signals from the brain to the muscles. These pathways include:

• Corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts

• Medial pathways and lateral pathways 

Somatic motor neurons _______ skeletal muscles

innervate