Spinal Cord

White Matter: Outer layer of the spinal cord containing myelinated axons, responsible for transmitting information up and down the spinal cord.

Gray Matter: Inner "H" or butterfly-shaped region containing neuron cell bodies.

Dorsal Root: Contains sensory nerve fibers carrying information from the body to the spinal cord.

Dorsal Root Ganglion: A swelling on the dorsal root containing the cell bodies of sensory neurons.

Ventral Root: Contains motor neurons sending information from the spinal cord to the muscles.

Dorsal Horns: Parts of the gray matter where sensory neurons enter.

Ventral Horns: Parts of the gray matter where motor neurons originate.

Central Canal: A small channel in the center of the spinal cord containing cerebrospinal fluid.

Spinal Nerve: Formed by the merging of the dorsal and ventral roots; carries sensory and motor information.