CONTENT
Spinal cord,
Meninges and its internal
structure,
CSF,
Sensory and motor pathways
BY:
Ihtasham Majeed
Abu Bakar Asghar
Hammad Afzal
Muhammad Hammas
Spinal Cord
SPINAL CORD
The spinal cord is a long,thin, tubular structure made
up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla
oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar origin of the
veretebral column.
It encloses this central canal of the spinal cord
which contain cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) fluid.
Spinal Cord
The spinal cord is 40 to 50 cm long and 1cm to 1.5cm in diameter.Two
consecutive rows of nerve roots emerge on each of its sides.These nerve
roots join distally to form 31 pairs of spinal nerves.
Although the spinal cord constitutes only about 2% of the central
nervous syste(CNS), its function are vital.
Parts of Spinal Cord:
It is divided into four regions
Cervical,
Thoracic,
Lumbar and
Sacral
Spinal Nerve
Spinal Nerves:
1. 8 pairs of cervical spinal nerves
2. 12 pairs of thoracic spinal nerves
3. 5 pairs of lumbar spinal nerves
4. 5 pairs of sacral spinal nerves
5. 1 pairs of coccyx spinal nerve
Internal organization
Eachspinal segment consists of central gray and
peripheral white matters that are connected by the
corresponding gray and white commissures
A. Gray matter
B. White matter
A. Gray Matter
Gray matter consist of nerve cells & unmyelinated nerve
fibers
H-shaped formed of:
1. Anterior horns: containing motor nuceli
2. Poster horns. : containing sensory nuceli
3. Lateral horns. : containing autonomic cells
B. White Matter
White matter mostly consist of glial cells and myelinated
axons
It is divided into 3 large columns on each side
1. Posterior column
2. Lateral column
3. Anterior column
Function of spinal cord:
Its three major roles are:
1. To relay message from the brain to different parts of the body in
order to perform an action
2. To pass along message from sensory receptors to the brain
3. To co-ordinate reflexes that don’t go through the brain and are
managed by the spinal cord alone.
Meninges and its
internal structure
Meninges
The menings are three membranes that surround the spinal
cord.
The mening.
The meninges form a strand of fibrous tissue, the filum terminale
which attaches to the vertebral bodies of the coccyx.
It present around the brain and the spinal cord.
Layers of Meninges:
There are three layers of meninges;
1. Dura Mater
2. Arachnoid Mater
3. Pia mater
Dura Mater of the spinal cord:
It is the most external of the meninges.
The dura is attached to the foramen magnum and the periosteium covering
ther uppermost cervical vertebrae and their ligaments.
Through the reminder of the vertebral canal, the dura is not attached to the
vertebrae, being separated by the epidural(or peridural or extradural)
space, which contains fat and their internal vertebral venous plexus.
Arachnoid Matter of the Spinal Cord:
The arachnoid invests the spinal cord loosely.
Continuous with the cerebral arachnoid above, it transverse the foramen magnun and
descends to about S2 vertebral level.
The subarachnoid space, which contains cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) is a wide interval
berween the arachnoid and pia
Because the spinal cord ends at about the level of L2 vertebra, whereas the subarachnoid
space continues to S2, access cen be gained to the CSF by inserting a needle between the
vertebral lamina below the end of the cord, a procedure termed lumbar puncture.
By the means,the pressure of CSF cn be measured, the fluid cn be analyzed, a spinal
anesthetic can be introduced, or fluid can be replaced by a contrast medium for radiography
Pia Mater of the Spinal Cord:
The pia mater invests the spinal cord closely,ensheathes the anterior
spinal artery (as linea splendes), and enters the anterior median fissure
Laterally, the pia forms a discontinuous longitudinal septum, the
denticulate ligament, which sends about 21 tooth-like processes laterally
to fuse with the arachnoid and dura on each side
The ligament is a surgical landmark in that it is attached to the spinal cord
about midway between the attachments of dorsal and ventral roots.
Layers of Meninges:
Sensory and motor
pathways
Sensory and Motor Pathways:
Sensory pathways are sensation or impulses conducting
routes between sense organs or receptors to the reflex
centres of one of the two destinations of brain, cerebral
cortex and cerebellum.
Sensory pathways consist of tracts, broadly divided into:
1. Ascending tracts
2. Descending tracts
Organization of sensory pathways:
Ascending sensory pathways are organized into three neuronal
chain
1. First order neuron
2. Second order neuron
3. Third order neuron
Organization of Ascending or sensory
pathways;
First order neuron carry signals from the periphery to or
receptor site to the spinal cord
Second order neuron carry signals from the spinal cord to the
thalamus.It is generally located in the spinal cord or brainstem
Third order neuron carry signals from the thalamus to the
primary sensory cortex
Ascending or sensory pathways:
Motor pathways:
Motor pathways are the pathways that control the muscles.
Thesignals originate in the brain and control the alpha motor
neurons, which are directly wired to the muscles.
Motor pathways control voluntary movements, postures, nd
reflexes.
Motor pathyways are also called pyramidal pathways.
Motor Pathway:
Ceribrospinal
Fluid(CSF)
Ceribrospinal fluid:
CSF is a fluid tht bathes all the
nervous and tissues of brain.
In spinal cord present in central canal.
Inbrain, present in cavities called
ventricles.
Flow of CSF:
1. CSF is secreted by choroid plexus
(ependymal cells) in each internal
ventricle
2. CSF flows through the interaventricular
foramen into third ventricle
3. Choroid plexus adds more CSF
4. CSF flows down the cerebral aqueduct to
fourt ventricle
Flow of CSF:
5. Choroid plexus in the fourth ventricle adds
more CSF
6. CSF flows down two lateral appertures and
one median apperture
7. CSF fills the sub-arachnoid space and
bathes the external surface of brain and spinal
cord
8. At arachnoid villi, CSF is reabsorbed into
venous blood of dural venous sinuses.
Functions of CSF:
Itprovides mechanical protection and forms protective cushion,
against bumps and jolts
It regulates the intercranial pressure
It creates buoyance which allow brain to flow in skull
It
participates in the cerebral metabolism and many functions as
well.
THANKS
