Textbook Question
Side-to-side movements of the spinal cord are prevented by the:
(a) Filum terminale
(b) Denticulate ligaments
(c) Dura mater
(d) Pia mater
(e) Arachnoid mater
Ch. 13 The Spinal Cord, Spinal Nerves, and Spinal Reflexes
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew12th EditionFundamentals of Anatomy and PhysiologyISBN: 9780137854011
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 An Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology25
- Ch. 2 The Chemical Level of Organization34
- Ch. 3 The Cellular Level of Organization29
- Ch. 4 The Tissue Level of Organization24
- Ch. 5 The Integumentary System17
- Ch. 6 Bones and Bone Structure33
- 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 Senses15
- Ch. 18 The Endocrine System21
- Ch. 19 Blood31
- Ch. 20 The Heart31
- Ch. 21 Blood Vessels and Circulation26
- Ch. 22 The Lymphatic System and Immunity25
- Ch. 23 The Respiratory System4
- Ch. 24 The Digestive System18
- Ch. 26 The Urinary System31
- Ch. 27 Fluids & Electrolytes30
- Ch. 28 The Reproductive System12
- Ch. 29 Development and Inheritance17
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew12th EditionFundamentals of Anatomy and PhysiologyISBN: 9780137854011Not the one you use?Change textbook
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Martini, Nath, Bartholomew 12th EditionCh. 13 The Spinal Cord, Spinal Nerves, and Spinal ReflexesProblem 26
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew 12th EditionCh. 13 The Spinal Cord, Spinal Nerves, and Spinal ReflexesProblem 26Chapter 13, Problem 26
Ascending tracts
(a) Carry sensory information to the brain,
(b) Carry motor information to the brain
(c) Carry sensory information from the brain
(d) Carry motor information from the brain
(e) Connect perceptive areas with the brain
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the definition of ascending tracts in the nervous system. Ascending tracts are bundles of nerve fibers that transmit information from the peripheral body parts up to the brain.
Step 2: Recall that sensory information refers to signals related to sensations such as touch, pain, temperature, and proprioception, which are sent from the body to the brain for processing.
Step 3: Recognize that motor information involves commands sent from the brain to muscles or glands to produce movement or action, which is typically carried by descending tracts, not ascending tracts.
Step 4: Analyze each option in the problem: (a) Carry sensory information to the brain — this aligns with the function of ascending tracts; (b) and (d) involve motor information, which ascending tracts do not carry; (c) and (e) describe functions not typically associated with ascending tracts.
Step 5: Conclude that the correct description of ascending tracts is that they carry sensory information to the brain, which corresponds to option (a).
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Ascending Tracts
Ascending tracts are bundles of nerve fibers in the spinal cord that transmit sensory information from the peripheral body to the brain. They carry signals such as touch, pain, temperature, and proprioception, enabling the brain to perceive and respond to stimuli.
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Sensory vs. Motor Pathways
Sensory pathways carry information from sensory receptors toward the central nervous system, while motor pathways transmit commands from the brain to muscles. Ascending tracts are sensory, whereas descending tracts are motor, reflecting their direction and function.
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Neural Communication Directionality
Neural tracts are classified by the direction they carry impulses: ascending tracts move impulses upward to the brain, and descending tracts carry impulses downward from the brain. Understanding this directionality is key to identifying the function of different spinal cord pathways.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Mary complains that when she wakes up in the morning, her thumb and forefinger are always “asleep.” She mentions this condition to her physician, who asks Mary whether she sleeps with her wrists flexed. She replies that she does. The physician tells Mary that sleeping in that position may compress a portion of one of her peripheral nerves, producing her symptoms. Which nerve is involved?
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Textbook Question
Bowel and urinary bladder control involve spinal reflex arcs that are located in the sacral region of the spinal cord. In both instances, two sphincter muscles—an inner sphincter of smooth muscle and an outer sphincter of skeletal muscle—control the passage of wastes (feces and urine) out of the body. How would a transection of the spinal cord at the L1 segment level affect an individual's bowel and bladder control?
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Textbook Question
The subarachnoid space contains:
(a) cerebrospinal fluid
(b) lymph
(c) air,
(d) connective tissue and blood vessels
(e) denticulate ligaments.
Textbook Question
What five characteristics are common to all polysynaptic reflexes?
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Textbook Question
What effect does the stimulation of a sensory neuron that innervates an intrafusal muscle fiber have on muscle tone?
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