Lab 12: Spinal Cord Anatomy

nerve plexus

network of interweaving spinal nerves

cervical plexus

innervates neck muscles, skin of neck, shoulders

brachial plexus

innervates upper limb

lumbar plexus

innervates anterior thigh muscles

sacral plexus

innervates posterior thigh

cervical enlargement (wider region that contains neurons for upper limb)

lumbar enlargment (wider region that contains neurons for lower limb)

conus medullaris (cone shaped, inferior tip of spinal cord)

filum terminale (thin strand of pla attaching conus medullaris to coccyx)

cauda equina (bundle of nerves that extend inferiorly below conus medullaris)

pia mater: delicate layer, adheres to spinal cord

Arachnoid mater: web like layer, superficial to pia mater

dura mater: tough, outermost layer