Spinal Cord- General Features

Terms	Definitions
Arachnoid Mater
Arachnoid Mater	The middle meninx (weblike) underlies the dura mater, threadlike projections anchor it to the pia mater
Central Canal	The narrow cavity in the center of the spinal cord that is continuous with the fluid-filled ventricles of the brain.
Central Canal
Denticulate Ligament	Extends across the subarachnoid space from the pia to the arachnoid, suspends the spinal cord within the dural sheath.
Denticulate Ligament
Dorsal Funiculus	Transmits sensory modalities of proprioception, vibration, discriminative touch and stereognosis from the spinal cord to nuclei in the brainstem.
Dorsal Funiculus
Dorsal Horn	Site where sensory information from the periphery is first modified before being transmitted to higher centers. It contains interneurons and the cells of origin of ascending (sensory) tracts.
Dorsal Horn
Dorsal Intermediate Septum	Thin connection tissue membrane which separates the gracile and cuneate fasciculi.
Dorsal Intermediate Septum
Dorsal Intermediate Sulcus	Groove on the dorsal surface of the rostral part of the spinal cord, between the gracile and cuneate fasciculi.
Dorsal Intermediate Sulcus
Dorsal Median Septum	Glial partition, separating the gracile fasciculi of each side
Dorsal Median Septum
Dorsal Median Sulcus	Shallow midline groove on the dorsal surface of the entire length of the spinal cord.
Dorsal Median Sulcus
Dorsal Root	Contains afferent (sensory) fibers passing from the spinal nerve to the spinal cord. The Cell bodies of these fibers are located in the dorsal root ganglion.
Dorsal Root
Dorsolateral sulcus	Shallow groove where the dorsal roots of the spinal nerves attach to the spinal cord.
Dorsolateral sulcus
Dura Mater	Thick, fibrous membrane which surround and protects the brain and spinal cord.
Dura Mater
Epidural Space	Separates the dura mater from the periosteum of the vertebral canal. It contains fat and blood vessels and is traversed by the spinal nerves.
Epidural Space
Intermediate Zone	located between the dorsal and ventral horns, contains mainly interneurons and some tract cells. In the thoracic and sacral regions it also contains preganglionic autonomic neurons.
Intermediate Zone
Lateral Funiculus	contains both ascending and descending pathways including the lateral corticospinal, rubrospinal, dorsal and ventral spinocerebellar tracts and the anterolateral system.
Lateral Funiculus
Lateral Horn	Formed by the intermediolateral nucleus, which contrains the preganglionic sympathetic neurons which regulate the activity of the blood vessels, viscera, and sweat glands of the body.
Lateral Horn
Pia Mater	thin membrane which covers the brain and spinal cord and separates them from the subarachnoid space.
Pia Mater
Spinal Gray Matter	Contains tract cells (give rise to ascending pathways), motoneurons (control muscle activity) and interneurons (involved in spinal reflex activity and in modifying transmission of sensory information).
Spinal Gray Matter
Subarachnoid Space	Surrounds the central nervous system, filled with cerebrospinal fluid, providing buoyancy for the brain. Also contains the major arteries of the brain and spinal cord.
Subarachnoid Space
Ventral Funiculus	Includes the vestibulospinal, ventral corticospinal and medial reticulospinal tracts, all of which are involved in the control of trunk movements.
Ventral Funiculus
Ventral Horn	Formed primarily by alpha and gamma motor neurons, involved in controlling activity of the skeletal muscles.
Ventral Horn
Ventral Median Fissure	Separates the ventral white columns of the spinal cord. Occupied by the anterior spinal artery.
Ventral Median Fissure
Ventral Root	contrains visceral (GVE) and somatic (GSE) motor fibers passing from the spinal cord into the spinal nerve.
Ventral Root
Venterolateral Sulcus	A groove along which the ventral roots of the spinal nerves are attached to spinal cord.
Venterolateral Sulcus