S2 vertebral level.

INTRODUCTION  Pia matter → ends at the level of

II) SPINAL CORD EXTERNAL ANATOMY L1/L2 at the conus medullaris.
III) SPINAL CORD INTERNAL ANATOMY  But, from conus medullaris → a
Notes from Ninja nerd but done from long thin process of pia mater
brainless medicose. Filum terminale → extends inferiorly
inside the subarachnoid →
Gross anatomy of Spinal cord | External
traverses the subarachnoid space &
structure explanation in easy wordings |
attach to posterior surface of
2020 | Hindi/Urdu - YouTube
coccygeal vertebra.
 This process of Pia mater called
Spinal Cord External Features Filum Terminale.
 Cylindrical shape → mcq  Filum terminale → two parts
– Begins →  filum terminale internum → within
the dural sac
 From the Foramen Magnum of the
 filum terminale externum →
Skull → C1 vertebral level
outside the dural sac.
– Ends
 L1 to L2 vertebral level.
 In adults → ends at lower border of
L1 → mcq
 In neonates → upper border of L3
→ mcq
 Only occupies 2/3rd length of vertebral
column.
 Measures about 45 cm (18”) in adult
male→ mcq
– Conus medullaris.
 Point at which spinal cord terminates.
– Spinal Meninges
 S. cord → surrounded by
 dura mater,
 arachnoid mater,
 pia mater.  The interval between L2 and S2
 Between the arachnoid mater and pia ( between the conus medullaris and
matter → sub arachnoid space → end of sub arachnoid space ) is used
filled with CSF. to draw CSF fluid via Lumbar
puncture.
 Spinal meninges do not terminate at
– Dural Sac
L2 with spinal cord.
 When dura matter surrounds spinal
 Subarachnoid space & spinal
matter → called dural sac OR thecal
meninges dura mater and arachnoid
sac → mcq
mater extends down & terminates at
  No other significance.  divides the white matter of the
– Spinal Dura mater anterior spinal cord nearly in two.
 Consists of meningeal layer only  Extends in entire length of Spinal
cord.
 Does not form dural venous sinuses.

– Posterior median sulcus

 Only a narrow groove
 Only present in cervical and thoracic
segments.
 Mn → for fissure & sulcus → F
agay ata hia S peche ata hia in
alphabetical order.

– Spinal Nerves
Spinal Nerves Coming out of the Spinal
Cord → part of Peripheral Nervous
System
 31 pairs of spinal nerves:
 Starts coming out from C1 vertebral
level — ends at L1 and L2 vertebral
level.
 See Img for clarity.

– Anterior median fissure

 On anterior surface of spinal cord
 – Similarly, 4 coccyx vertebrae exist
embryologically which fuse together by
adult hood (aged 30 years) to give rise
to 1 coccyx bone.

 Total number of vertebrae → 33 but

 Total number of spinal nerves → 31
pairs.

 Nerves includes
 Cervical → 8 pairs
– Enlargements in Spinal cord
 Thoracic → 12 pairs
 Lumbar → 5 pairs  C5 - T1 region of spinal cord shows
enlargement called → Cervical
 Sacral → 5 pairs Enlargement
 Coccygeal → 1 pair  Rx more Gray Matter to Supply
Upper Limb Skeletal muscles.
– There are 7 Cervical Vertebrae, but 8  Similarly, L2 - S3 region of the spinal
pairs of Spinal cervical nerves Cord shows enlargement called →
 Nerves C1 – C7 exit above the Lumbar Enlargement
corresponding vertebrae  Rx → more Gray Matter → Supply
 C8 spinal nerve exits below C7 lower limb skeletal Muscles
vertebrae.  Mn → jab me 23 ka tha mere abba
 All Other nerves from T1 to Coccygeal 51 k they
vertebrae exit below their – Cauda Equina
corresponding vertebrae.  Bundle of Nerves stemming from
– Sacral Vertebrae in adults (aged 30 & distal end of spinal cord (spinal cord
above) exists as a single bone but termination),
embryologically 5 sacral vertebras  Include spinal nerves from → L2 to
develops which fuse together to give
C1 region
rise to 1 sacrum bone.
 looks like horse tail
 5 sacral spinal nerves pass through
Sacral bone .
 system
 Mn → COPS

– Node of Ranvier
 Unmyelinated regions in an axon
between adjacent myelinated regions
of axons
 Exist in both CNS and PNS.
Spinal Cord Internal Parts
 Contain a large amount of Na+
– White matter channels → that are responsible for
 Collection of myelinated axons of increasing velocity of action
potentials →
neurons within the CNS
 As we go down from cervical region  Since ↑ Na channels involved → aka
to Coccygeal region → White matter Saltatory conduction
Decrease ↓↓  increases the velocity of action
White matter type present in Spinal potentials.
cord → tracts
 Tracts → axons that conduct
impulses in the vertical axis of the
body.
 Ascending tracts take sensory
information cephalically upwards
towards brain
 Thicker as we go up (since nerve
fibers from upper regions join)
 Carry various senses → pain,
vibration , heat etc. – Nerve
 Lies Medially only ??  Collection of axons outside the PNS
 Descending tracts take motor
information caudally → – Gray Matter
downward from the brain.  Collection of cell bodies of neurons
 Thicker at the top (soma) in brain & spinal cord.
 Lie laterally in Spinal cord ??  Unmyelinated axons → also part of
 White matter other types gray matter.
(Commissures & Association Fibres)  In a cross section of spinal cord, grey
only present in brain matter appears as butterfly shaped.
– Myelin Sheath of Axons  The amount of grey matter and
 Made of Lipid and Protein amount of white matter varies at
different levels.
 Is the reason for White appearance of
tracts.
 In general, → as we go down from
cervical region to Coccygeal region →
 Unmyelinated axons appear gray. Gray matter Increase ↑↑
 Formed by
 Oligodendrocytes in central nervous
system
 Schwann cells in peripheral nervous
  Exception → Cervical enlargement
(C5 to T1) where grey matter is
greater in size.
 Ganglia
 Collection of cell bodies of neurons
outside the CNS.
– Reticular Formation in Spinal cord
Different at different levels. – Basic Anatomy of a Neuron
 Cervical Segment → well developed.
 Thoracic Segment → poorly
developed.
 Lumbar & Sacral Segment → absent.

– Process of neurons → 2 types

 Dendrite → if the process from cell
body extends into the CNS
 Axon → if the process from cell body
extends to the Periphery

– Neuron Types According to Structure

  Have multiple dendrites and a
single axon extending from cell
body.
 Motor neurons → multipolar.
 Mn → M for multipolar → M for
Motor.
 Multipolar neurons are most
abundant type in CNS and PNS.
– Neuron Types According to Function
 Sensory Neurons
 Relay sensory information to
different parts of the brain via
 Ascending tracts
 Intersegmental tracts ??
 Unipolar neurons  Structure → Pseudo Unipolar
 have single process extending from  Extend from peripheral receptors &
cell body synapse in spinal cord.
 absent in humans.  Can be as long as 1 meter.
 Bipolar neurons  Inter neurons →
 Have two processes extending from  Interneurons → exclusively present
cell body → within the CNS.
 One axon and one dendrite.  Absent in PNS
 Axon are processes which  In spinal cord → Only present in
receive signals from the periphery gray matter.
and transmit to cell body of  Not covered by myelin sheath →
neuron. this is why appear gray → mcq
 Dendrites are processes which  Process sensory info and relay to
receive signal from cell body of motor neurons.
axon and relay to the central  Multipolar or bipolar in structure ??
nervous system.
 Motor Neurons
 Exclusive to →
 Bring about motor function.
 Rod and cone cells of retina
 Multipolar in structure.
 Olfactory epithelium.
 Extend from spinal cord to reach
 Pseudo unipolar → skeletal muscles.
 Are unipolar neurons that appear  Can be as long as 1 meter.
like bipolar neurons → it appears
they have one axon and one
dendrite extending from cell body Cross Section of Grey & White Matter
 In reality, only a single process
o White Matter
extends from cell body and splits
into two axonal branches. – 3 major white matter portions
 One branch terminates in the  Anterior (Ventral) Funiculus
periphery while the second branch  Mostly Descending Tracts → Motor
terminates in the spinal cord. information.
 Sensory neurons → pseudo  Some Ascending tracts → sensory
unipolar. function.
 Multipolar neurons →  Lateral Funiculus
  Ascending and Descending Tracts  Lateral Grey Horn → have neuronal
 Posterior (Dorsal) Funiculus cell bodies concerned with visceral
motor activity.
 Only Ascending tract → Sensory
Information  Aka → General visceral efferents
 General visceral efferents bring about
motor function in Visceral organs →
for instance → constriction of
arterioles.

o Gray Matter
– Posterior gray horn → have neuron cell
bodies which receive sensory impulses
from skeletal muscles.
 Aka Somatic Sensations
o III) SPINAL NERVE ANATOMY AND BASIC FUCNTION
 Aka afferents from skeletal muscles.
Also
– Anterior Funiculus exits as Ventral Root
 Anterior most region of posterior horn  Posterior Funiculus exits as Dorsal
→ have neuronal cell bodies which Root.
receive sensory impulses from
visceral organs. – Dorsal Root + Ventral Root → come
together in the Inter vertebral foramina
 Aka General visceral afferents to make → Spinal nerve aka trunk
 General Visceral afferents neurons →
 Only present from
 T1 - L2 → (sympathetic)
 S2 -S4 → (parasympathetic)
– Anterior gray horn → Have neuron cell
bodies which send motor impulses to
skeletal muscles.
 Aka Somatic Motor impulses.
 Aka efferents to skeletal muscles.
– Intermediate zone →
2 structures
 Gray Commissure – A spinal nerve aka Trunk again
 Lateral Horn classically divide into
 Gray Commissure → connect left grey  Dorsal Rami
matter to right gray matter  Ventral Rami.
 Lateral grey horn present only in segment – Roots only carry either motor or Sensory
fibers For instance,
 T1 - L2 → Sympathetic
 Dorsal root only sensory nerve fibers.
 S2 -S4 → Parasympathetic
 Ventral root only motor nerve fibers.
– But spinal nerve as well as rami ganglia.
contains fibers from both sensory and  12 ganglia pairs → thoracic region
motor neurons.
 2 ganglia pairs → lumbar region

 Each spinal nerve → has both

sensory and motor fibers.
 Sensory fibers → cell bodies lie in
dorsal root ganglion.
 Motor fibers → cell bodies lie in
anterior horn.
 Neuronal cell bodies which lie in
dorsal root ganglion → have both
a central process and a
peripheral process → there fore
synapses are abset → mcq
– White Rami Communicans
 Def → Preganglionic Sympathetic
Nerve Fibers exit from the spinal
nerve and attach to sympathetic chain
(sympathetic trunk) ganglion.
 They appear white because the fibers
are myelinated.
– Gray Rami Communicans →
 Def → Postganglionic Sympathetic
Nerve Fibers exit from the
sympathetic chain ganglion and enter
the spinal nerve
 They appear gray + called gray
because these fibers are
unmyelinated
–

– Sympathetic chain
 Aka Sympathetic trunk
 consists of two parallel cords of
 

– Plexus
 Motor axons group together and
forms plexuses →
 For instance, →
 Brachial plexus
 Lumbosacral plexus

Structure Anatomy & Function

Posterior part of the
Spinal nerve
Dorsal Rami Innervation of
o Back
o Neck
o Vertebrae

Anterior part of the

spinal nerve
Ventral Rami Innervation of
o Anterior trunk
o Lateral Trunk
o Limbs

White Myelinated Preganglionic

Rami Sympathetic Nerve
Communic Fibers
ans
Gray Rami Unmyelinated
Communic Postganglionic
ans Sympathetic Nerve Fibers