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Which body structures receive signals from the ventral rami of spinal nerves?
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nervous system
In a myelinated axon, the myelin sheath prevents the local current (small black arrows) from flowing across the membrane. This forces the current to travel down the nerve fibre to the unmyelinated nodes of Ranvier, which have a high concentration of ion channels. Upon stimulation, these ion channels propagate the action potential (large green arrows) to the next node. Thus, the action potential jumps along the fibre as it is regenerated at each node, a process called saltatory conduction. In an unmyelinated axon, the action potential is propagated along the entire membrane, fading as it diffuses back through the membrane to the original depolarized region.
The ventral rami of the spinal nerves are responsible for carrying both sensory and motor fibers that innervate the following structures:
- Muscles: The muscles of the lateral and ventral body walls, as well as those of the extremities.1
- Joints: The joints located within the lateral and ventral body walls and the extremities.1
- Skin: The skin covering the lateral and ventral body walls and the extremities.1
Additionally, these ventral rami contain autonomic fibers that contribute to the regulation of these regions.1