The spinal cord is one of the primary portions of the central nervous system, serving as a medium for signals to be sent from the brain to the structures of the body, and received from them in return. Extending from the medulla oblongata, through the foramen magnum in the base of the skull, to the base of the vertebral column, the spinal cord is about half of a centimeter in diameter, and is slightly flattened. The spinal cord itself passes through the vertebral canal created by the vertebral arches, and sends out roots and branches. These structures contain bundles of nerve fibres which extend all the way down the body, innervating even the skin of the tips of the toes. The spinal cord features both efferent and afferent nerve pathways, so that nerves may be transmitted to the body's structures as well as received from them. Paired sets of nerves branch out from the spinal cord along the vertebral column, with the lowest of these forming the sacral plexus of nerves. The sympathetic nerves travel alongside the spinal cord in the sympathetic nerve trunk, which features periodic clusters of nerves, called ganglia, which deal with specific organ groups. The spinal cord floats in a spinal fluid which protects and nourishes it and, as with the brain, is covered by a meningeal membrane composed of three layers: the pia mater, the arachnoid, and the dura mater. Damage to the spinal cord results in inability to transmit and receive nerve impulses to and from the specific area supplied by the damaged section of the spinal cord, and all sections below it, resulting in paralysis and numbness. Inflammation of the spinal covering is a condition called spinal meningitis. Research Spinal Cord
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Medicine
Research Spinal Cord