The human spinal cord is a long tube of nervous tissue that spans from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the backbone. It is hollow and contains cerebrospinal fluid. When combined with the brain, they make up the central nervous system (CNS) together. Spinal cords carry nerve signals from the brain to the rest of our bodies, which helps us function properly; it controls movement, sends sensations, manages automatic physical responses, and more. If damaged, it can lead to issues with walking, lack of bladder control, numbness, and back pain. The human spinal cord is crucial to our complete operation with our body.
The spinal cord is a cylinder tube that is made up of nerves and cells. It consists of three segments; cervical, thoracic, and lumbar. In each part, pairs of spinal nerves form. Motor and sensory nerve rootlets branch out. There are 31 nerves, in 30 of which are pairs: 8 cervical (neck to face), 12 thoracic (chest, abdomen, and upper body), 5 lumbar (lower back to the legs and feet), and 5 sacral (lower back to pelvis). In addition, the spinal cord is covered in tissue called meninges. They are layered and help protect the body from injury. It includes the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater. Lastly, the space between the dura and arachnoid mater is called the epidural space; the spacing between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater is referred to as the subarachnoid space.
The major function of the spinal cord is to carry electrical nerve signals from the brain. The signals ensure the proper body movements, brain processing, and managing reflexes. In addition, it includes spinal interneurons that make up neural circuits, which allow rhythmic movements such as walking. The spinal cord relays messages via myelinated nerves along the pathways of the cord. Lastly, it regulates the internal organs of the body, such as smooth muscles, intestines, and lungs. This part of the NS is called the autonomic nervous system. Health conditions and injuries can damage the spinal cord, either that be temporary or permanent. Common disorders include spinal fractures, herniated disks, and spinal infections or tumors. A spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause major motor and sensory dysfunctions; including lack of sensation, lack of muscle functioning, incontinence, breathing problems, and pressure sores. It can either be traumatic or nontraumatic, depending on the cause. SCIs can also be complete, which means that all functions below the injured area are lost, or incomplete, which allows for functioning below the level of injury of the spinal cord.
The human spinal cord’s anatomy allows its complex carrying out of the significant purpose in our bodies. Dysfunctioning or malfunction of the spinal cord can cost you crucial functions to life: breathing, walking, and relaying of cellular signals. Therefore, it is vital for us to keep the spinal cord unimpaired and disease-free. We can maintain the health of our spinal cord and our back by consuming nutritious foods, stretching and exercising, maintaining a stable and proper posture, avoiding tobacco, and sleeping in natural positions of our spine.
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