The Spinal Cord

From the spinal cord and the dorsal root ganglia the central nervous system innervates most of the body. The spinal cord transmits nerve impulses to and from the brain and is the integrating center for the spinal cord reflexes. The spinal cord lies enclosed within the vertebral canal and is well protected from injuries by the vertebral column, the meninges and the cerebrospinal fluid. It extends from the foramen magnum to the disc between the first and second lumbar vertebrae. Internally, the spinal cord comprises the gray matter and the white matter. The inner gray matter is made up of the cell bodies of motor neurons, sensory neurons and interneurons, as well as synapses and glia cells. The outer white matter comprises of myelinated axons and dendrites of interneurons. Depending on their…