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The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue that extends from the medulla oblongata in the lower brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone) of vertebrate animals. The center of the spinal cord is hollow and contains a structure called the central canal, which contains cerebrospinal fluid.
Because the vertebral column will outgrow the spinal cord during child development, by adulthood the spinal cord often ends at the upper lumbar spine (at around L1/L2 level), the lower end of the spinal canal is occupied by a ponytail-like bundle of spinal nerves descriptively called cauda equina (from Latin "horse's tail"), and the sacrum and ...
Just as the brain and spinal cord make up a continuous, uninterrupted structure, the cranial and spinal cavities that house them are also continuous. The brain and spinal cord are protected by the bones of the skull and vertebral column and by cerebrospinal fluid, a colorless fluid produced by the brain, which cushions the brain and spinal cord ...
It is the medial core of the body and connects the pelvis to the body, where the appendix skeleton attaches. As the skeleton grows older the bones get weaker with the exception of the skull. The skull remains strong to protect the brain from injury. In humans, the axial skeleton serves to protect the brain, spinal cord, heart, and lungs.
The spinal cord is protected by three layers of tissue, called spinal meninges, that surround the canal. The dura mater is the outermost layer, and it forms a tough protective coating. Between the dura mater and the surrounding bone of the vertebrae is a space called the epidural space .
The arachnoid mater covering the brain is referred to as the arachnoidea encephali, and the portion covering the spinal cord as the arachnoidea spinalis. The arachnoid and pia mater are sometimes considered as a single structure, the leptomeninx, or the plural version, leptomeninges (lepto, from the Greek root meaning "thin" or "slender").
An irregular bone is one that does not have an easily classified shape and defies description. These bones tend to have more complex shapes, like the vertebrae that support the spinal cord and protect it from compressive forces. Many facial bones, particularly the ones containing sinuses, are classified as irregular bones. [1]
Association neurons are located in the grey matter of the spinal cord and the brain. The CNS is protected by the cranium, vertebral column, meninges, cerebrospinal fluid. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain. The spinal cord and the brain stem are joined at the base of the cranium at the foramen magnum. Most of the functions of the head ...