Glossary
- Anterior Column
- white matter between the anterior horns of the spinal cord composed of many different groups of axons of both ascending and descending tracts
- Anterior Column
- white matter between the anterior horns of the spinal cord composed of many different groups of axons of both ascending and descending tracts
- Anterior Horn
- gray matter of the spinal cord containing multipolar motor neurons, sometimes referred to as the ventral horn
- Anterior Median Fissure
- deep midline feature of the anterior spinal cord, marking the separation between the right and left sides of the cord
- Anterior Corticospinal Tract
- division of the corticospinal pathway that travels through the ventral (anterior) column of the spinal cord and controls axial musculature through the medial motor neurons in the ventral (anterior) horn
- Ascending Tract
- central nervous system fibers carrying sensory information from the periphery through the spinal cord to the brain
- Cauda Equina
- bundle of spinal nerve roots that descend from the lower spinal cord below the first lumbar vertebra and lie within the vertebral cavity; has the appearance of a horse's tail
- Cervical Enlargement
- region of the ventral (anterior) horn of the spinal cord that has a larger population of motor neurons for the greater number of and finer control of muscles of the upper limb
- Central Canal
- hollow space within the spinal cord that is the remnant of the center of the neural tube and contains circulating CSF
- Corticobulbar Tract
- connection between the cortex and the brain stem responsible for generating movement
- Corticospinal Tract
- connection between the cortex and the spinal cord responsible for generating movement
- Descending Tract
- central nervous system fibers carrying motor commands from the brain to the spinal cord or periphery
- Drsal (posterior) Nerve Root
- axons entering the posterior horn of the spinal cord
- Dorsal (posterior) Root Ganglion
- sensory ganglion attached to the posterior nerve root of a spinal nerve
- Foramen Magnum
- large opening in the occipital bone of the skull through which the spinal cord emerges and the vertebral arteries enter the cranium
- Intercostal Nerve
- systemic nerve in the thoracic cavity that is found between two ribs
- Lateral Column
- white matter of the spinal cord between the posterior horn on one side and the axons from the anterior horn on the same side; composed of many different groups of axons, of both ascending and descending tracts, carrying motor commands to and from the brain
- Lateral Horn
- region of the spinal cord gray matter in the thoracic, upper lumbar, and sacral regions that is the central component of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system
- Lateral Corticospinal Tract
- division of the corticospinal pathway that travels through the lateral column of the spinal cord and controls appendicular musculature through the lateral motor neurons in the ventral (anterior) horn
- Lumbar Enlargement
- region of the ventral (anterior) horn of the spinal cord that has a larger population of motor neurons for the greater number of muscles of the lower limb
- Posterior Columns
- white matter of the spinal cord that lies between the posterior horns of the gray matter, sometimes referred to as the dorsal column; composed of axons of ascending tracts that carry sensory information up to the brain
- Posterior Horn
- gray matter region of the spinal cord in which sensory input arrives, sometimes referred to as the dorsal horn
- Posterior Median Sulcus
- midline feature of the posterior spinal cord, marking the separation between right and left sides of the cord
- Spinal Nerve
- one of 31 nerves connected to the spinal cord; contains both sensory and motor neurons
- Spinothalamic Tract
- ascending tract of the spinal cord associated with pain and temperature sensations, which are sent to the thalamus then to the cortex
- Ventral (anterior) Nerve Root
- axons emerging from the anterior or lateral horns of the spinal cord
Grant and Other Information
Except where otherwise noted, this work by The Community College Consortium for Bioscience Credentials is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Text from BioBook licensed under CC BY NC SA and Boundless Biology Open Textbook licensed under CC BY SA.
Other text from OpenStaxCollege licensed under CC BY 3.0. Modified by Alice Rudolph, M.A., Andrea Doub, M.S. and Dr. Gustavo Solis, M.D. for c3bc.
Instructional Design by Courtney A. Harrington, Ph.D., Helen Dollyhite, M.A. and Caroline Smith, M.A. for c3bc.
Media by Brittany Clark, Jose DeCastro, Jordan Campbell and Antonio Davis for c3bc.
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