Spinal cord

The importance of the Backmarks Most people realize when it comes to special diseases or paralysis symptoms. Otherwise, the spinal cord is a very complex and complicated system, which, however, is hardly noticeable in a healthy state.

What is spinal cord?

When defining the Backmarks different names like the Medulla spinalis or that Spinal cord used. Basically, the colloquial term spinal cord refers to a part of the nervous system.

In contrast to other regions of the central nervous system, the 40 cm long spinal cord is concentrated in an elongated cavity within the spine.

The individual breakthroughs in the vertebral bodies result in their entirety a through opening for the spinal cord.

Antomy & structure

The morphology of the Backmarks is extremely fine and is based on a collection of nerve fibers and so-called perikaryen. The perikarya are anatomical components of the ascending and descending nerve cells. The spinal cord comprises several sections, which, depending on their location, include the cervical and thoracic, lumbar and sacral cords.

In contrast to the spinal cord in the cervical and lumbar areas, the spinal cord is much narrower at the level of the lungs and neck. In the lower regions towards the buttocks there is a greater density of nerve cells.

When looking at the spinal cord, an anterior, lateral and posterior cord can be seen. In addition, a double coating of hard and soft media protects the spinal cord. These layers are called the spinal cord. The morphology of these membranes is the same as that of the meninges.

If the spinal cord is cut transversely, the white and gray medullary substance are conspicuous, which are made up of different physiologically relevant structures. In an overview, the cross-section of a spinal cord is compared with a butterfly with outspread wings.

Functions & tasks

The Spinal cord works closely with the brain and represents the connection between this "control center" and all organs. The skin and muscles are also controlled by the brain via the spinal cord.

In addition, a wide variety of stimuli can be received via the spinal cord via the peripheral nervous system (this runs on the outer areas of the body) and supplied to the brain. The spinal cord is also responsible for tasks such as monitoring motor skills and body movements, coordinating all functional processes in the organism and processing environmental stimuli. Other functions of the spinal cord also have to do with feeling, language and thinking.

Through the spinal nerves, the stimuli picked up from the outside are picked up by the spinal cord via the gray and white medullary substance and passed to the brain and vice versa. In addition to the aforementioned nerve cells, the spinal cord also contains the neurotransmitters that are essential for the transmission of stimuli, which work on a biochemical basis between the nerve cell extensions.

Diseases

A variety of medical conditions relate solely to that Spinal cord. The spinal cord is involved in other diseases to a certain extent. This fact applies, for example, to multiple sclerosis, meningitis and epilepsy.

If the spinal cord suffers from spondylolysis or Paget's disease or if other damage occurs to the spinal cord, the consequences can be catastrophic. In all diseases in which the spinal cord is affected in any way, disorders of the ability to perceive, the ability to speak, the ability to move, the execution of simple, involuntary reflexes and the thinking occur in varying degrees of severity.

A multitude of diseases of the spinal cord are caused by mechanical effects from injuries. These are impairments such as paraplegia in various forms such as tetra-, paraparesis and paraparalysis. Further disease-specific deficits in the spinal cord are myelopathy, disorders of the blood supply, inflammation of the spinal cord and the narrowing of this system due to a herniated disc.

Myelopathy is about damage that has occurred to the spinal cord in the area of ​​the cervical spine. The spinal cord is depressed by an increase in the volume of bony substances. Myelitis is an inflammatory process in the spinal cord that is primarily triggered by microorganisms. If the spinal cord membranes are affected by these inflammatory processes, it is referred to as meningomyelitis.

Typical & common diseases

• Syringomyelia
• Spinal injury (spinal trauma)
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Paraplegia
• multiple sclerosis
• leukemia