Spinal cord and segments

What structure suspends spinal cord in position?

Denticulate ligament (attach spinal cord to dura matter)

What does the gray matter consist of?

Nuclei = groups of cell bodies

dorsal horn = Sensory input

ventral horn = Motor output

lateral horn = Autonomic ANS, cell bodies of sympathetic system and interneurons

How many cervical spinal cord segments are there in all species?

8

Where does the spinal cord terminate in different species?

Dog: L7

Cat: L6/7

Bovine: S1

Equine: S2

What are the terminating terminologies of the spinal cord?

Conus medullaris - natural tapering of spinal cord caudal to lumbosacral inyumescence

Filum terminale - fine filament of neural tissue

Cauda equina - connection of spinal nerves that course caudally to their respective foramina

define intumescence. Where is it found?

subtle enlargment of spinal cord

Brachial plexus - C5-T2

Lumbosacral plexus - L4 - S3

What does the white matter consist of?

Glial cells and myelinated axons

What are these regions known as and what do they contain?

Funiculus

Dorsal funiculus - sensory tract

Lateral funiculus - lateral: sensory, medial: sensory + motor

Ventral funiculus - motor + sensory tract

Define a fasiculus

bundle of same anatomical nerve fibres that make up a tract

Multiple fasiculus in funiculi