Spinal cord

The spinal cord is a part of the vertebrate nervous system that is enclosed in and protected by the vertebral column (it passes through the spinal canal). It consists of nerve cells. The cord conveys the 31 spinal nerve pairs of the peripheral nervous system, as well as central nervous system pathways that innervate skeletal muscles.

Embryology

In the human fetus, the spinal cord extends all the way down to the sacral vertebrae. As a person matures, the spinal cord shortens relative to the rest of the body, so at adulthood, the spinal cord only reaches down to around the level of L1 (the first, i.e. highest, lumbar vertebra), where it terminates and the cauda equina begin - this is why lumbar punctures are usually carried out on an adult at the (lower) level of L3/L4.

Related Topics:
Fetus - Sacral vertebrae - Lumbar vertebra - Cauda equina - Lumbar puncture

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