1. The spinal cord. A. Spinal nerves connect the spinal cord with the periphery. Each spinal nerve has a ventral root containing axons of efferent neurons and a dorsal root containing axons of afferent neurons. The dorsal root ganglion is a swelling containing the cell bodies of sensory neurons. The spinal cord is covered in three membranes that comprise the meninges: the pia, the arachnoid, and the dura mater. B. Cross-section through the spinal cord indicating a butterfly-shaped central area of gray matter. Sensory neurons enter the dorsal horn, and motor neurons leave the ventral horn. The surrounding white matter consists of dorsal, lateral, and anterior columns, each containing nerve tracts running to and from the brain. The ascending and descending tracts shown are present on both the left and right sides.
Source: Neurophysiology, Medical Physiology: The Big Picture
Citation: Kibble JD, Halsey CR. Medical Physiology: The Big Picture; 2015 Available at: Accessed: November 03, 2017
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