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spinal cord
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Nerves and ganglia of the human spinal cord Human spinal cord Structures of a spinal nerve The Human Body MRI of a patient with syringomyelia lower cervical section of human spinal cord Diagram showing the knee jerk reflex: a reflex hammer strikes the patellar tendon below the knee, activating a stretch receptor in the quadriceps muscle. This sends a signal through a sensory neuron to the spinal cord, where it connects to a motor neuron. The motor neuron then signals the muscle to contract, causing the lower leg to kick forward. The diagram also illustrates the pathway of sensory and motor neurons and their connection in the spinal cord. reflexive action
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Nerves and ganglia of the human spinal cord
Nerves and ganglia of the human spinal cord Diagram of the human spinal cord, vertebrae, and sympathetic trunk (shown on one side only). Dorsal rami of the spinal nerves are not shown.

spinal cord

anatomy
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spinal cord, major nerve tract of vertebrates, extending from the base of the brain through the canal of the spinal column. It is composed of nerve fibers that mediate reflex actions and that transmit impulses to and from the brain. The spinal cord functions primarily in the control of both voluntary movements, such as those involved in walking and in speech, and involuntary movements, such as breathing and reflex actions. Together, the spinal cord and...

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