The spinal cord transmits nerve impulses to the spinal nerves.
Spinal is a concept that comes from the late Latin spinālis . The term allows reference to that linked to the thorn .
The idea of thorn, in this framework, refers to the vertebral column . This is the name given to the axis of the neuroskeleton of vertebrate animals. The neuroskeleton, meanwhile, is the skeleton that protects the central nervous system.
The spinal cord
The spinal cord is a cylindrical structure found in the spinal canal. It is the continuation of the brain, developing from the occiput to the lumbar area.
It should be remembered that the brain is the set of organs found inside the skull and that make up the nervous system of vertebrate species. The spinal cord, which extends from the area where the head joins the cervical vertebrae to the area of the back that goes from the waist to the buttocks, makes communication between the brain and the rest of the body possible.
The spinal cord is the tissue that carries nerve impulses (neuronal excitability) to the spinal or spinal nerves. When the neuron modifies its electrical potential and transmits this alteration through its axon, the nervous impulse is generated. What the spinal cord does is transfer this impulse to the 31 pairs of spinal nerves, which in turn send sensory and motor signals to different parts of the body.
Gray matter and white matter
Inside the spinal cord we find two types of substances : gray matter and white matter . The gray matter forms the superficial portion of the brain and the central portion of the spinal cord, being composed of neuronal bodies. The white matter, on the other hand, constitutes the central segment of the brain and the peripheral segment of the spinal cord, formed with bundles or fascicles of nerve fibers.
It can be said that, if the spinal cord is cut transversely, the gray matter appears in the center . The white substance, meanwhile, is located around it.
A spinal cord injury can cause paralysis .
Spinal cord damage
When an injury occurs to the spinal cord, the person may suffer problems of varying degrees in mobility or sensitivity. In the most severe cases, absolute and permanent paralysis can occur.
These injuries, for the most part, are non-traumatic . A congenital malformation , a tumor or poliomyelitis , for example , can affect the spinal cord. Traumatic injuries , on the other hand, are caused by falls or traffic accidents , among other reasons.
Treatment depends on the type and severity of injury. It may include surgery, the provision of corticosteroids and physical therapy , to name a few possibilities.
Names of different places
In Mexico , Espinal is a municipality in the state of Veracruz . It is made up of 82 towns and has about 25,000 inhabitants.
Espinal , in the Foral Community of Navarra ( Spain ), is a town in the municipality of Erro . Its foundation took place in the 13th century . Finally, in the Colombian department of Tolima , there is a municipality called El Espinal where more than 76,000 people live.