Definition

1. Noun:
   • The spinal cord: A major part of the central nervous system, consisting of a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells. It extends from the base of the brain (the medulla oblongata) down through the vertebral canal to the upper lumbar region of the spine. Its primary function is to transmit nerve signals (sensory and motor impulses) between the brain and the rest of the body.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The injury damaged his medulla spinalis, resulting in paralysis.
  • The medulla spinalis is protected by the bony vertebrae of the spinal column.
  • Sensory information from the skin travels to the brain via the medulla spinalis.

Advanced Usage

• Anatomical Context: The term "medulla spinalis" is the formal Latin-derived anatomical name used in technical, medical, and scientific literature. In everyday English, "spinal cord" is far more common.
  • The study focused on the regeneration of neural pathways within the medulla spinalis.

Variants and Related Words

• Spinal cord: The common English term for "medulla spinalis." They are synonyms.
• Myelon: An older or more specialized term sometimes used in neuroanatomy to refer to the spinal cord.
• Cerebrospinal axis: A broader term that can include both the brain and the spinal cord.

Synonyms

• Spinal cord: The direct and most frequently used synonym.
• Neural cord: A less common term emphasizing its structure as a cord of nervous tissue.

Related Phrases and Terms

• Spinal canal (vertebral canal): The bony channel in the vertebrae that houses and protects the medulla spinalis.
• Spinal nerves: The paired nerves that emerge from the segments of the medulla spinalis.
• Gray matter and white matter: The internal structures of the medulla spinalis, consisting of nerve cell bodies (gray matter) and myelinated nerve fibers (white matter).

Noun

1. a major part of the central nervous system which conducts sensory and motor nerve impulses to and from the brain; a long tubelike structure extending from the base of the brain through the vertebral canal to the upper lumbar region