Spinal Cord Structures

Ventral (anterior) horn

sends motor signals to the skeletal muscles

Dorsal (posterior) horn

sensory processing

Lateral horn

central component of the sympathetic division of the ANS

Dorsal root

where sensory signals enter

Central canal

filled with CSF, connects to ventricles of the brain

Mixed spinal nerve

communication highway between the CNS and the body

White matter

highway for the CNS, transmits sensory information to the brain and motor commands back to the body

Ventral root

where motor signals leave

Arachnoid mater

middle layer of meninges, protects the brain and spinal cord

Dura mater

outermost layer, provides a water-tight sac around the spinal cord