Textbook Question
What are the two primary functional roles of the cerebellum?
Ch. 15 Sensory Pathways and the Somatic Nervous System
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew11th EditionFundamentals of Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780136874089
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 An Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology26
- Ch. 2 The Chemical Level of Organization34
- Ch. 3 The Cellular Level of Organization30
- Ch. 4 The Tissue Level of Organization24
- Ch. 5 The Integumentary System17
- Ch. 6 Bones and Bone Structure36
- Ch. 7 The Axial Skeleton11
- Ch. 8 The Appendicular Skeleton17
- Ch. 9 Joints13
- Ch. 10 Muscle Tissue12
- Ch. 11 The Muscular System28
- Ch. 12 Nervous Tissue18
- Ch. 13 The Spinal Cord, Spinal Nerves, and Spinal Reflexes22
- Ch. 14 The Brain and Cranial Nerves20
- Ch. 15 Sensory Pathways and the Somatic Nervous System17
- Ch. 16 The Autonomic Nervous System and Higher-Order Functions30
- Ch. 17 The Special Senses16
- Ch. 18 The Endocrine System20
- Ch. 19 Blood31
- Ch. 20 The Heart31
- Ch. 21 Blood Vessels and Circulation29
- Ch. 22 The Lymphatic System and Immunity31
- Ch. 23 The Respiratory System12
- Ch. 24 The Digestive System18
- Ch. 26 The Urinary System31
- Ch. 27 Fluids & Electrolytes32
- Ch. 28 The Reproductive System12
- Ch. 29 Development and Inheritance23
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew11th EditionFundamentals of Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780136874089Not the one you use?Change textbook
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Martini, Nath, Bartholomew 11th EditionCh. 15 Sensory Pathways and the Somatic Nervous SystemProblem 12
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew 11th EditionCh. 15 Sensory Pathways and the Somatic Nervous SystemProblem 12Chapter 15, Problem 12
The corticospinal tract
(a) Carries motor commands from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord
(b) Carries sensory information from the spinal cord to the brain
(c) Starts in the spinal cord and ends in the brain
(d) Does all of these
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the function of the corticospinal tract. It is a major neural pathway involved in transmitting motor commands from the brain to the spinal cord.
Step 2: Recall that the corticospinal tract originates in the cerebral cortex, specifically in the motor areas, and its fibers descend through the brainstem to reach the spinal cord.
Step 3: Recognize that the corticospinal tract is primarily a motor pathway, meaning it carries motor commands, not sensory information.
Step 4: Eliminate options that describe sensory pathways or incorrect directions of signal transmission, such as carrying sensory information from the spinal cord to the brain or starting in the spinal cord and ending in the brain.
Step 5: Conclude that the correct description of the corticospinal tract is that it carries motor commands from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Corticospinal Tract Function
The corticospinal tract is a major neural pathway that transmits motor commands from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord, enabling voluntary movement control of the body’s muscles.
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06:04
Functional Groups
Motor vs. Sensory Pathways
Motor pathways carry signals from the brain to muscles to initiate movement, while sensory pathways transmit information from the body to the brain. The corticospinal tract is specifically a motor pathway.
Recommended video:
1:06Organization of Sensory Pathways Example 1
Directionality of Neural Tracts
Neural tracts have defined start and end points; the corticospinal tract begins in the cerebral cortex and ends in the spinal cord, not the other way around, distinguishing it from sensory tracts.
Recommended video:
1:52External Regulation – Neural Mechanisms
Related Practice
Textbook Question
Describe the relationship among first-order, second-order, and third-order neurons in a sensory pathway.
Textbook Question
Differentiate between a tonic receptor and a phasic receptor.
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Textbook Question
What three steps are necessary for transduction to occur?
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Textbook Question
Which three pairs of descending tracts make up the corticospinal pathway?
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Textbook Question
Which three motor tracts make up the medial pathway?