The spinal cord and

spinal nerves
 Learning Objectives
• Outline how the spinal cord is protected
• Describe the structure of the spinal cord
(both gross and sectioned)
• Identify spinal tracts and contrast 3 spinal
reflexes
• Compare the spinal nerve plexuses and
identify important nerves from each
 Spinal cord
Spinal Cord

Spinal Cord
• conducts impulses from body
to brain
• conducts impulses from brain
to body
• controls reflex activities
Spinal Cord Protection
meninges epidural space
(filled with fat)

spinal vertebrae
Spinal Cord Protection
• meninges (membranes that surround the
brain and spinal cord)
– mater (subdural space filled
with interstitial fluid)
–arachnoid mater (subarachnoid
space filled with CSF)
–pia mater
 Meninges
spinal cord

spinal nerves

pia mater
arachnoid mater

dura mater
 Spinal Cord
• flattened cylinder 42-45cm long,
2cm diameter
• lies within the spinal canal
 External Anatomy of Spinal Cord
foramen cervical
magnum
enlargement
(nn. to upper
limbs)

lumbar
enlargement
L1 (nn. to lower
limbs)
cauda conus
equina medullaris

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filum terminale
conus medullaris
• cone-shaped end of
spinal cord
cauda equina
• dorsal, ventral roots of
lowest spinal nerves
filum terminale
• thread-like extension of
pia mater
• stabilizes spinal cord in
spinal canal
 gray matter
dorsal horn • shaped like butterfly
(sensory axons,
interneurons) (or letter H)
• divided into horns

ventral
horn
(cell
bodies
of LMN)

gray
commissure
lateral horn
© John Wiley & Son Inc (in thoracic s.c. only;
autonomic motor cell bodies)
 lateral
column
dorsal column

lateral
ventral column
column

white matter
• surrounds gray matter
• divided into columns (funiculi)
• contains sensory and motor nerve tracts
 posterior
median
sulcus

central
canal

anterior
median
fissure
 Spinal Cord and
Spinal Nerves
• spinal nerves emerge from s.c. as
roots
– root contains sensory fibers
– root contains motor fibers
• dorsal root ganglion (DRG)
contains cell bodies of sensory
neurons
 dorsal
root
spinal ganglion dorsal root
nerve

ventral root sensory

neuron

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motor neuron
 Tracts of the Spinal Cord
• highways for sensory and motor
information (sensory tracts ascend,
motor tracts descend)
• name indicates position in s.c. and
(usually) direction of signal
–e.g., anterior spinothalamic tract
• in anterior part of s.c.
• impulses travel from s.c. to
thalamus
Tracts of the Spinal Cord
Brain

Receptor

Afferent
neuron
Spinal cord
Tracts of the Spinal Cord

Brain

Spinal cord
Efferent
neuron
Effector
 Spinal tracts

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tracts sensory tracts

• pyramidal • dorsal columns
(corticospinal) • spinothalamic
• extrapyramidal tracts • spinocerebellar
 Function of Spinal Tracts
Tracts
• Posterior (Dorsal)columns
– proprioception, discriminative touch, two-
point discrimination, pressure, vibration
• Spinothalamic tracts
– pain, temperature, deep pressure, crude touch
• Spinocerebellar tracts
– unconscious proprioception
 Function of Spinal Tracts
Tracts
• Direct pathways (pyramidal tracts)
– precise, voluntary movements
• Indirect pathways (extrapyramidal tracts)
– “programmed” automatic movements
– co-ordinate gross movements and visual
reflexes
Motor Tracts
 Spinal Integration
• integrating centres - regions in CNS
that relay impulses from sensory to
motor neurons
• - fast, predictable, automatic
responses to environmental changes
• s.c. serves as an integrating centre for
spinal reflexes (promotes homeostasis)
 Reflex Arc
association receptor
neuron

afferent
neuron

efferent
spinal cord neuron
effector
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 Spinal reflexes
• some examples:
–stretch reflex
–tendon reflex
–flexor (withdrawal) reflex
 Stretch Reflex
(patellar reflex)

• synaptic reflex
• prevents over-stretching injury
Tendon Reflex

• Tendon organs activated

when tendon stretched
muscle relaxes,
antagonistic muscle
contracts
• prevents tendon damage
Flexor (withdrawal) Reflex
• polysynaptic reflex
• pain signals activate
motor fibers in
several s.c.
segments
• >1 muscle group
activated to lift foot
away from painful
stimulus
Physiological Role of
Reflexes
• - minimizes duration of
exposure to noxious stimuli
• maintain posture, balance
• co-ordination
Spinal Nerves
• branch from s.c.,
emerge through
intervertebral
foramina
• mixed nerves
(contain sensory and
motor fibers)
Spinal Nerve Coverings
nerve wrapped in
epineurium
(continuation of dura)
fascicle wrapped
in perineurium

nerve fibers (individual

axons) wrapped in
endoneurium
 blood
epineurium vessels perineurium

SEM 900x

endoneurium axons fascicle

 Spinal Nerves
8 cervical

12 thoracic

5 lumbar
5 sacral

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1 coccygeal
Branching of Spinal Nerve
• dorsal and ventral roots join to
form spinal nerves
dorsal root

spinal
nerve

ventral root
branching of spinal nerve
• spinal nerves branch into dorsal
and ventral rami dorsal ramus
(supplies skin,
dorsal root muscles of back)

spinal
nerve
ventral ramus
(supplies limbs,
ventral root ant. neck, trunk)
• form plexuses
 Plexus
• complex of nerves
• “switching box” for ventral rami
of spinal nerves
• found in cervical, brachial,
lumbar and sacral regions
• s.n. T2-T12 don’t form plexuses
 Cervical Plexus
C1
C2
C3
C4
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• ventral rami of s.n. C5

C1 to C5
• innervates skin and
muscles of head and
neck, and superior phrenic n. (C3-C5)
shoulders and chest • to diaphragm
 Brachial Plexus
C5
C6
C7
C8
T1

• ventral rami of s.n. C5 to T1

• innervate shoulder and upper limb
 Brachial Plexus

axillary n.

radial n.
long thoracic n.
(serratus anterior m)

• axillary n. –deltoid, skin of shoulder

• radial n. - triceps, sensory lateral forearm
 Brachial Plexus
musculocutaneous n.

median n.
long thoracic n.
ulnar n. (serratus anterior m)

• musculocutaneous n. - biceps brachii, skin of

forearm
• median n. - muscles of forearm and hand
• ulnar n. medial forearm, flexor muscles of hand
 Lumbar Plexus
L1 • ventral rami of
L2 s.n. L1 to L4
L3 • innervates
L4
abdominal wall,
external genitals
L5 and anterior-
medial thigh
femoral n.
 Sacral Plexus
L4
L5 • ventral rami of
S1 s.n. L4 to S4
S2 • innervates
S3
buttocks,
S4
perineum and
part of lower
limb
sciatic n.