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Central Nervous System
Central Nervous System
Brain
• The adult brain consists of four major parts:
brainstem, cerebellum, diencephalon, and
cerebrum
• The brainstem is continuous with the spinal
cord and consists of the medulla oblongata,
• pons, and midbrain
• Posterior to the brainstem is the cerebellum
• Superior to the brainstem is the diencephalon
• which consists of the thalamus, hypothalamus
• epithalamus.
•
• Supported on the diencephalon and brainstem
is the cerebrum, the largest part of
• the brain.
MENINGES
• The cranial meninges are continuous with the
spinal meninges, have the same basic
structure, and bear the same names:
• the outer dura mater
• the middle arachnoid mater
• inner pia mater
• The two dural layers are called the periosteal
layer (which is external) and the meningeal
layer (which is internal).
• .
• The spinal cord conveys sensory and motor
information by way of ascending
• and descending tracts, respectively
Spinal Nerves
• The 31 pairs of spinal nerves are named and
numbered according to the region and level of
the spinal cord from which they emerge.
• There are 8 pairs of cervical,
• 12 pairs of thoracic,
• 5 pairs of lumbar, 5 pairs of sacral, and
• 1 pair of coccygeal nerves.
• Spinal nerves typically are connected with the
spinal cord by a posterior root and an anterior
root.
• All spinal nerves contain both sensory and
motor axons (they are mixed nerves).
• Three connective tissue coverings associated
with spinal nerves are the endoneurium,
perineurium, and epineurium.
• Branches of a spinal nerve include the
posterior ramus, anterior ramus, meningeal
branch, and rami communicantes.
• The anterior rami of spinal nerves, except for
T2–T12, form networks of nerves called
plexuses.
• Anterior rami of nerves T2–T12 do not form
plexuses and are called intercostal
• (thoracic) nerves. They are distributed directly
to the structures they supply in intercostal
spaces.
Cervical Plexus
• The cervical plexus is formed by the roots
(anterior rami) of the first four cervical nerves
(C1–C4), with contributions from C5.