Spinal Cross Section

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerve fibers that extend from the brain stem down the spinal column to the lower back.

Spinal cross section. Understand all things spinal cord white and grey matter with this step by step interactive quiz and worksheet guide. The white matter is made up of neuron axons mostly but not all myelinated. Between the vertebrae are small spaces known as intervertebral canals that allow spinal nerves to exit the spinal cord and connect to the various regions of the body.

Looking at a cross section of the spinal cord you would see gray matter shaped like a butterfly surrounded by white matter. Two prominent grooves or sulci run along its length. A cross section of the spinal cord reveals white matter arranged around a butterfly shaped area of gray matter.

The vertebrae of the spine align so that their vertebral canals form a hollow bony tube to protect the spinal cord from external damage and infection. At the back are two dorsal horns and away from the back are two ventral horns. The outer zone contains many myelinated axons that run up and down the spinal cord.

The spinal cord is elliptical in cross section being compressed dorsolaterally. The white matter consists of myelinated fibres or axons that form nerve tracts ascending to and descending from the brain. The spinal cord travels from the base of the skull through the cervical spine.

Watch cervical spinal cord anatomy animation. When viewed as a cross section from above the spinal cord consists of a butterfly shaped or thick h shaped region of gray matter that sits in the middle of the white matter. In cross section c s the segments appear to be divided into two zones.

The posterior median sulcus is the groove in the dorsal side and the anterior median fissure is the groove in the ventral side. The white matter is grouped into discrete sectors called funiculi. Cross section of the spinal cord if a person were to take a slice of the spinal cord horizontally they would see a circular area in the middle covered in protective layers the meninges.