Spinal Cord Model

Dura Mater

First Layer of meninges: a tough, fibrous membrane that covers and protects the brain and spinal cord

pia mater

the delicate innermost membrane enveloping the brain and spinal cord.

arachnoid mater

weblike middle layer of the three meninges

subarachnoid space

a space in the meninges beneath the arachnoid membrane and above the pia mater that contains the cerebrospinal fluid

dorsal/posterior root ganglion

a nodule on a dorsal root that contains cell bodies of afferent spinal nerve neurons

ventral/anterior root

contains axons of motor neurons

lateral white column

includes the white matter on either side of the spinal cord, between the anterior and posterior columns

posterior white column

lies between the posterior gray horns and the posterior median sulcus

anterior white column

lies between the anterior gray horns and the anterior median fissure

anterior horn

somatic motor neurons whose axons exit the cord via ventral roots

Central Canal

A tiny channel found within the spinal cord and inferior medulla oblongata

posterior median sulcus

a shallow vertical groove dividing the spinal cord throughout its whole length in the midline posteriorly.

anterior median fissure

a groove along the anterior midline of the spinal cord that incompletely divides it into symmetrical halves

posterior horn

gray matter region of the spinal cord in which sensory input arrives, sometimes referred to as the dorsal horn

lateral horn

(only in thoracic and lumbar regions)

- sympathetic neurons

epidural space

space between the dura mater and the wall of the vertebral canal