Spinal Cord

What is the approximate number of people living with paralysis in the USA?

• 1 million

• 3 million

• 6 million

• 9 million

Where does the spinal cord extend from and to?

• From the foramen magnum of the skull to the fifth lumbar vertebra

• From the foramen magnum of the skull to the first or second lumbar vertebra

• From the base of the spine to the third cervical vertebra

• From the third cervical vertebra to the fifth lumbar vertebra

What is the function of the spinal cord?

• It provides a one-way conduction pathway to and from the brain

• It provides a two-way conduction pathway to and from the brain

• It only sends signals to the brain

• It only receives signals from the brain

What structures protect the spinal cord?

• Skull and rib cage

• Vertebrae and meninges

• Muscles and skin

• Ligaments and tendons

How many pairs of spinal nerves arise from the spinal cord?

• 21 pairs

• 31 pairs

• 41 pairs

• 51 pairs

What is the cauda equina?

• The uppermost part of the spinal cord

• A single large spinal nerve at the end of the spinal cord

• A collection of spinal nerves at the inferior end of the spinal cord

• The protective layer surrounding the spinal cord

What is the primary composition of the internal gray matter of the spinal cord?

• Myelin sheaths

• Cell bodies

• Axons

• Dendrites

What type of neurons are housed in the posterior (dorsal) horns of the spinal cord?

• Motor neurons

• Sensory neurons

• Interneurons

• Pyramidal neurons

The ventral (anterior) horns of the spinal cord house motor neurons of which nervous system?

• Autonomic nervous system

• Peripheral nervous system

• Somatic nervous system

• Enteric nervous system

What is the function of the gray matter that surrounds the central canal of the spinal cord?

• To produce cerebrospinal fluid

• To send motor information out via the ventral root

• To receive information from sensory neurons

• To house cerebrospinal fluid