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Ch. 13 The Peripheral Nervous System
Amerman- Human Anatomy & Physiology 3e
Amerman3rd EditionHuman Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780138247201, 9780138247928, 9780138201814Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksAmerman 3rd EditionCh. 13 The Peripheral Nervous SystemProblem 11e
Chapter 13, Problem 11e

Mark the following statements about the spinal cord as true or false. If a statement is false, correct it to make a true statement.
The corticospinal tracts are the main sensory tracts in the spinal cord.

Verified step by step guidance
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Step 1: Understand the corticospinal tracts. The corticospinal tracts are motor pathways that originate in the cerebral cortex and travel down the spinal cord to control voluntary movements, particularly fine motor skills. They are not sensory tracts.
Step 2: Review the main sensory tracts in the spinal cord. The primary sensory tracts include the dorsal column-medial lemniscal pathway (responsible for fine touch, vibration, and proprioception) and the spinothalamic tracts (responsible for pain, temperature, and crude touch).
Step 3: Evaluate the statement provided. The statement claims that the corticospinal tracts are the main sensory tracts in the spinal cord. Based on the information above, this statement is false because corticospinal tracts are motor tracts, not sensory tracts.
Step 4: Correct the false statement. To make the statement true, it should be revised to: 'The corticospinal tracts are the main motor tracts in the spinal cord.'
Step 5: Confirm the corrected statement aligns with anatomical and physiological knowledge. Ensure the corrected statement accurately reflects the function of the corticospinal tracts as motor pathways.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Corticospinal Tracts

The corticospinal tracts are major pathways in the central nervous system that carry motor signals from the brain to the spinal cord. They are primarily involved in voluntary motor control, particularly of the limbs and trunk. Understanding their role is crucial for distinguishing between motor and sensory pathways in the spinal cord.
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Sensory Tracts

Sensory tracts are pathways that transmit sensory information from the body to the brain. In the spinal cord, these include the dorsal columns and spinothalamic tracts, which carry sensations such as touch, pain, and temperature. Recognizing the difference between sensory and motor tracts is essential for accurately evaluating statements about spinal cord functions.
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True/False Statement Correction

Correcting true/false statements involves identifying inaccuracies and providing factual information to clarify misconceptions. In this context, it requires knowledge of spinal cord anatomy and function to accurately assess the truthfulness of the statement regarding the corticospinal tracts and to reformulate it correctly if it is false.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Place the following sequence of events for the detection of somatic sensation in the proper order. Place a 1 by the first event, a 2 by the second event, and so on.     

a. ______The central process transmits the action potential to a second-order sensory neuron in the CNS.     

b. ______The action potential is transferred to the central process in the posterior root ganglion.     

c. ______The stimulus triggers an action potential.     

d. ______The signal is transferred to other CNS sensory neurons for eventual perception and interpretation.     

e. ______The action potential is propagated along the peripheral process of the neuron.

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Textbook Question

How do upper and lower motor neurons differ?

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Textbook Question

The tracts of the posterior columns decussate in the ________, whereas the tracts of the anterolateral system decussate in the ________.

Textbook Question

Tactile nerve endings, tactile corpuscles, bulbous corpuscles, and lamellated corpuscles are all types of:

a. Nociceptors

b. Mechanoreceptors

c. Photoreceptors

d. Chemoreceptors

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Textbook Question

Match the following nerves with the structures they innervate.     


____Phrenic nerve     

____Median nerve     

____Femoral nerve     

____Tibial nerve     

____Radial nerve     

____Intercostal nerves     

____Common fibular nerve     

____Musculocutaneous nerve


a. Motor to the triceps brachii muscle and muscles in the forearm that extend the hand; sensory from the posterior hand

b. Motor to the muscles in the anterior arm that flex the forearm; sensory from skin over the lateral forearm

c. Motor to the muscles in the anterior and lateral leg that evert and dorsiflex the foot; sensory from the skin of the anteroinferior leg

d. Motor to the diaphragm muscle

e. Motor to the muscles in the anterior thigh extend the knee; sensory from the skin over the anterior thigh and leg

f. Motor to the hamstring muscles that extend the thigh and flex the leg, muscles of the leg that plantarflex the foot, and muscles of the foot; sensory from the skin over the posterior and lateral leg and foot

g. Motor to the muscles between the ribs and the abdominal muscles; sensory from the skin over the abdomen

h. Motor to the muscles in the forearm that flex the hand, certain intrinsic hand muscles; sensory from the skin of the anterior hand

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Textbook Question

List and describe the basic steps involved in producing movement, beginning with the upper motor neurons in the cerebral cortex.

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