What is spinal cord

Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetic Testing

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- About Spinal Cord Injuries -

What is the Spinal Cord?

· The spinal cord is the longest nerve in the human body. It acts as a conduit for messages sent between the brain and the rest of the body. The brain and the spinal cord make up the Central Nervous System.

· The nerves that lie within the spinal cord are called the upper motor neurons (UMNs), which carry messages back and forth from the brain to the nerves along the spinal tract.

· The nerves that branch out from the spinal cord to other parts of the body are called lower motor neurons (LMNs), which carry messages from the nerves on the spinal cord to target areas in the body.

· Because of its important role in the nervous system, the spinal cord is surrounded by protective bone segments, called the vertebral column. There are 33 vertebra in the human body.

Source: SCI Information Network

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