BIO223: Human Anatomy

L11: Spinal Cord and Innervation

UNC-Asheville, f2011

Locations of nerve tissue

INNERVATION
Peripheral nerves

Brain Spinal Cord

Anatomical Divisions of the Nervous System:

Central Nervous System (CNS) brain and spinal cord contained within bone (skull, vertebral column) Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) all nerve tissue outside CNS sensory & motor divisions

Every skeletal muscle fiber is supplied (INNERVATED) by a motor neuron

Skeletal Muscle is voluntary

fibers will not contract unless a neuron tells them to
(all movements are initiated by the nervous system)

Neuromuscular Junction

Neuromuscular junction Muscle fibers neurons (2)

muscle

BIO223: Human Anatomy

L11: Spinal Cord and Innervation

UNC-Asheville, f2011

How do muscles control force? Muscle contraction is a biochemical rxn each fiber always contracts with the maximum force it can. Strength of contraction of an entire muscle (ex. Deltoid) is determined by % of fibers within the muscle firing at the same time.

Nerves and Neurons a nerve is an organ a neuron is a cell of nerve tissue

Neuron NERVE

neuroglia

NERVE TISSUE Neurons: impulse-conducting nerve cells Neuroglia: supporting cells Neurons
200x

Dendrites Cell Body

(soma)

Neuron basic structure Cell body (soma) Axon (only 1, but branches)
Axon Hillock
Trigger Zone

AXON
Direction of impulse Schwann cell (neuroglia)

conducts impulse release neurotransmitters into synapse (junction bet. cells) NT alters the activity of cells [excitatory / inhibitory]

Dendrites

Neuroglia

Synaptic knobs

Functional Classification of Neurons

1. Sensory (input) PNS 2. Motor (output) PNS 3. Interneurons (processing) CNS

Motor & Sensory Innervation motor (= efferent) neurons

produce effects on body structures (ex. muscle; glands) travel from CNS motor organ

sensory (= afferent) neurons

sensory

provide info about intl & extl conditions travel from sensory organ CNS

interneurons
interneurons motor

Connect neuronneuron Involved with thought, processing, memory, etc.

BIO223: Human Anatomy

L11: Spinal Cord and Innervation

UNC-Asheville, f2011

Motor Neuron (multipolar)

dendrite

Interneurons (multipolar)
dendrites

Sensory Neuron (unipolar)

cell body axon

nerve gross structure of PNS containing the axons of several neurons

axon

axon

axon

axon

muscle

NERVE
100s+ of axons wrapped together supporting cells (neuroglia) blood supply connective tissue
Axon
Neuron

Nerves are distinct gross anatomical structures

Spinal Cord

(ultimately originate from brain or spinal cord)

Radial Nerve
Triceps Triceps

Vertebrae Spinal Nerve

axons

Neuroglia

Intervertebral Foramen

Nerves can be entirely sensory, entirely motor, or mixed A neuron can only be sensory (afferent) or motor (efferent)

Nerve Sensory neurons Motor neurons

Spinal cord Nerve

Afferent neuron
(ex. from skin)

Efferent neuron
(to muscle)

BIO223: Human Anatomy

L11: Spinal Cord and Innervation

UNC-Asheville, f2011

Sensory and motor neurons often travel within the same nerve.

SPINAL NERVE formed in the intervertebral foramen from branches off spinal cord Originate between each pair of vertebrae
spinal cord

Stimulus

Sensory neuron

Effector response

Motor neuron

Processing

spinal nerve

Posterior view

SPINAL NERVES
emerge along vertebral column

Spinal nerves
organs of PNS exit between each pair of vertebrae (intervertebral foramina) carry both sensory & motor fibers

Spinal Cord (CNS) Spinal Nerves (PNS)

Spinal nerves are named by the vertebrae they emerge between.

Segmentation of spinal cord; numbering of spinal nerves

Spinal Cord

SKULL brain C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 T1 T2 T3 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 T1 T2 T3

Spinal Nerves
(emerge at each vertebral level)

SPINAL NERVE Formed in intervertebral foramen by junction of dorsal and ventral roots from spinal cord.

Denticulate Ligament (pia) Separates dorsal/ventral roots

Ventral Root Dorsal Root

Form a spinal nerve here (on other side of dura)

BIO223: Human Anatomy

L11: Spinal Cord and Innervation

UNC-Asheville, f2011

Spinal cord cross sections

Orientation of spinal cord cross-section Anterior median fissure Ventral root Spinal nerve Ventral (anterior) gray horns

Fibers of Dorsal Root are entirely sensory Fibers of Ventral Root are entirely motor

Dorsal root ganglion

cross-section

Dorsal Root Dorsal (posterior) gray horns

Each Spinal Nerve branches into dorsal and ventral ramus Ventral root only contains axons of motor neurons (cell bodies in anterior gray horn of spinal cord)
Ventral Root (motor only) Ventral Ramus
(mixed sensory + motor)

to limbs & anterior body wall

Spinal Nerve

Dorsal root ganglion Contains cell bodies of sensory neurons

Dorsal Root ganglion

Dorsal Root (sensory only)

Dorsal Ramus
(mixed sensory + motor)

to intrinsic back muscles [ex. erector spinae]

BIO223: Human Anatomy

L11: Spinal Cord and Innervation

UNC-Asheville, f2011

Dorsal Root Ventral Root

Dorsal Root Ganglion

Spinal Nerve
Dorsal Ramus Ventral Ramus

Dorsal Ramus supplies intrinsic back muscles

Ventral Ramus supplies muscles anterior to spinal cord, including all muscles of limbs

(erector spinae is only muscle we will dissect)

All other back muscles are actually muscles of the limbs, which are supplied by ventral rami

Muscles supplied by Ventral ramus Muscles supplied by Dorsal ramus

Gray versus White Matter

GRAY MATTER contains unmyelinated nerve tissue (ex. cell bodies) WHITE MATTER contains myelinated axons
Anterior median fissure Anterior median fissure

MYELIN
Fatty substance that wraps around & insulates axons increases speed impulse travels:
without myelin ~2 mph w/ myelin ~300 mph Cell Body (soma) Dendrites

Myelin is produced by neuroglia:

Somatic motor Visceral motor Visceral sensory Somatic sensory

PNS = Schwann cells CNS = oligodendrocytes

Direction of impulse

Nodes of Ranvier

Schwann cells
White matter Gray matter White matter Gray matter
Schwann cell

Myelin sheath axon

One neuron can be in both gray and white matter.