2 Spinal Cord | Trunk Wall (Part 1) | Vertebral Column | Bones of the Thoracic C
2 Spinal Cord | Trunk Wall (Part 1) | Vertebral Column | Bones of the Thoracic Cage
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lab, students will be able to:
- Describe the gross anatomy of the spinal cord and identify its regional variations.
- Identify the level and gray and white matter regions of the spinal cord on the cross-sectional images.
- Identify the anatomical features of the vertebral column.
- Identify the bones of the thoracic cage and their anatomical features.
- Identify and describe the function of the muscles of the back and abdominal wall.
Terms to Know
|
Spinal Cord Gross Anatomy
Muscles of the Trunk Wall
|
Bones of the Thoracic Cavity
Vertebral Column
|
Introduction
In this lab, you will be examining the spinal cord, vertebral column, and the abdominal wall. The spinal cord serves as the connection between our peripheral nervous system and the brain. The central region of gray matter is primarily composed of cell bodies and unmyelinated axons. The outer region of white matter is composed mainly of myelinated axons ascending, carrying sensory information, to the brain, or descending, carrying motor information, from the brain to the target tissues.
The vertebral column supports the weight of the body and helps to transmit forces between the upper and lower extremities. The muscles of the abdominal wall act on the vertebral column to create movements such as lateral bending, rotation, flexion, and extension at the trunk. These muscles are also continually working to stabilize the trunk and vertebral column, both with movement and at rest.
Today is the first lab you will see human cadaveric tissue. Please be respectful, appreciative, and understand, a human donated their tissue(s) for you to learn.
Lab Activities
Activity 1: Spinal Cord Anatomy
Wet Spinal Cord Specimens:
View the slideshow of wet human spinal cords on Canvas and view images of the spinal cord in the Abrahams’ Atlas and Netter’s Atlas. The spinal cords have been dissected and sectioned at the UW Hospital as part of an autopsy. Anatomical variation is common, and each spinal cord is slightly different. You could be asked to identify structures on any of the spinal cords on an exam.
- Observe the spinal cord as a whole. Is it shorter or longer than you expected it to be? Though our vertebral column extends down from the skull to our coccyx, the spinal cord only extends down to the L1 vertebral level. The conus medullaris is the somewhat cone-shaped inferior end of the spinal cord at this level. Identify this structure on the spinal cord. Notice all of the string-like extensions of nerves hanging off of the conus medullaris. Because the spinal cord ends at L1, the nerve roots exiting the vertebral column below that level have to leave the spinal cord at this level and travel through the vertebral column to get to the level that they will exit the vertebral column. This group of spinal nerves is called the cauda equina (Latin for “horse’s tail”).
- Observe the cervical