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Flashcards in Spinal cord & spinal nerves Deck (51)
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1
Q

What does the spinal cord do?

A
  • conducts or transmits sensory impulses from the body to the brain
  • conducts motor impulses from the brain to the body
  • controls reflex action
2
Q

What is the epidural space?

A

fairly large space filled with adipose tissue that acts as a buffer around the spinal cord

3
Q

What are meninges?

A

membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord

4
Q

What protects the spinal cord?

A

spinal vertebrae, meninges, and epidural space

5
Q

What are the 3 types of meninges?

A
  1. Dura mater- subdural SPACE filled with INTERSTITIAL fluid that anchors and protects
  2. Archnoid mater- subarchnoid SPACE filled with CSF
  3. Pia mater- thin MEMBRANE that follows the contour of the brain and spinal cord
6
Q

Whats the Dura Mater?

A

subdural SPACE filled with INTERSTITIAL fluid that anchors and protects

7
Q

What is the Archnoid mater?

A

subarchnoid SPACE filled with CSF

8
Q

What is the Pia mater?

A

thin MEMBRANE that follows the contour of the brain and spinal cord

9
Q

Pia mater is the most _______ of the meninges.

A

central or deep

10
Q

The arachnoid mater is ______ to the pia mater.

A

superficial

11
Q

THe dura mater is the most _______ meninges on the spinal cord.

A

superficial

12
Q

How long is the typical spinal cord?

A

42-45 cm long

13
Q

What is the foreman magnum?

A

the hole where the spinal cord attaches to the brain

14
Q

Which vertebrae does the spinal cord reach to as an infant and as an adult?

A

infant- L4

adult - L1

15
Q

When does the growth of the spinal cord stop?

A

age 5

16
Q

What makes the cervical enlargement and the lumber enlargement, enlarged?

A

there is an increase of nerve tissue

17
Q

Define conus medullaris

A

cone shaped end of spinal cord

18
Q

Define cauda equina

A

the dorsal ventral roots of lowest spinal nerves

19
Q

Define filum terminale

A

thread-like extension of the pia mater that stabalizes spinal cord in spinal canal

20
Q

What is a sulcus?

A

shallow groove

21
Q

Is the sulcus of the spinal cord on the ventral or dorsal side?

A

sulcus is on the dorsal side

22
Q

Is the Fissure of the spinal cord on the ventral of dorsal side?

A

fissure is on the ventral side

23
Q

What are the 2 spinal nerve roots that emerge from the spinal cord?

A
  • dorsal root (sensory)

- ventral root (motor)

24
Q

What kind of fibres does the dorsal root have?

A

sensory fibres in the dorsal root

25
Q

What kind of fibres does the ventral root have?

A

motor fibres in the ventral root

26
Q

What is the dorsal root ganglion?

A

contains cell bodies of sensory neurons

27
Q

What neuroglial cells protect by wrapping themselves around the dorsal root ganglion?

A

satellite cells

28
Q

What is the motor tract?

A
  • descending tract
  • has pyramidal (direct) and
  • has extrapyramidal tracts (indirect)
29
Q

What are sensory tracts

A
  • ascending tracts
  • dorsal columns
  • spinothalamic
  • spinocerebellar
30
Q

What are the 3 sensory tracts?

A
  • dorsal columns
  • spinothalamic
  • spinocerebellar
31
Q

What is the function of the dorsal (posterior) column (sensory tract)?

A

responsible for…

  • proprioception (know where your body parts are at any given time)
  • discriminative touch
  • two-point discrimination (deciphering whether there are 2 points or one when they are separating),
  • pressure
  • vibration
32
Q

What is the function of the spinothalamic (sensory tract)?

A

responsible for..

  • pain
  • deep pressure
  • crude touch (rough, textured)
33
Q

What is the spinocerebellar tract (sensory tract) responsible for?

A

responsible for…

- unconscious proprioception (balance)

34
Q

What are the 2 types of motor tracts and their function?

A
  • DIRECT pathways (pyramidal tracts); precise VOLUNTARY movement, happen right away
  • INDIRECT pathways (extrapyramidal tract); programmed or AUTOMATIC movement; coordinate gross movement and visual reflexes
35
Q

What is the function of direct pathways (pyramidal tracts)?

A
  • precise
  • voluntary movement
  • happen right away
36
Q

What is the function of indirect pathways (aka extrapyramidal tracts)?

A
  • automatic movements

- coordinate gross function and visual reflexes

37
Q

What are reflexes?

A
  • fast, predictable, automatic responses to environment change
38
Q

What are integration centres?

A
  • regions in the CNS that relay impulses from sensory to motor neurons directly (eg reflexes)
39
Q

Name the 4 important somatic spinal reflexes.

A
  • stretch reflex
  • tendon reflex
  • flexor (withdrawal reflex)
  • cross extensor reflex
40
Q

What are the nerve membranes/coverings?

A
  • epineurium
  • perineurium
  • endoneurium
41
Q

What is the stretch reflex?

A

aka patellar reflex

  • monosynaptic reflex (no interneuron)
  • prevents over stretching and injury
42
Q

What is activated when the tendon stretches in a tendon reflex?

A

Golgi tendon organ causes muscle to relax antagonistic muscle contracts

43
Q

What is the flexor cross extensor reflex?

A

a polysynaptic reflex involving several spinal segments

  • flexor reflex draws leg back
  • cross extensor reflex extends contralateral limb to maintain balance
44
Q

What is the physiological role of reflexes?

A
  • protection- minimizes duration of exposure to noxious stimuli
  • maintains posture and balance
45
Q

What are plexuses?

A

complex networks of nerves

46
Q

What part of the spine does not form plexuses?

A

spinal nerve T2- T12 don’t form plexuses

47
Q

What does the CERVICAL plexus innervate ?

A

C1-C5 innervates skin, muscle of head and neck, and superior shoulders and chest

48
Q

What does the BRACHIAL plexus innervate?

A

C5-T1 innervate shoulder and upper limb

49
Q

What does the LUMBAR plexus innervate?

A

L1-L4 innervates abdominal wall, external genitals and anterior medial thigh

50
Q

What does the SACRAL plexus innervate?

A

L4-S4 innervates buttock perineum and part of the lower limb

51
Q

What is dermatome?

A

areas of the skin supplied by one spinal nerve

- overlap of dermatomes prevents loss of sensation if one spinal nerve gets damaged