What is the difference between the dorsal and ventral roots of the spinal nerves?

Learn about this topic in these articles:

ganglia

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show
In ganglion
…system) are present in the ventral root ganglia.
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nerves

In nerve
…root is sensory and the ventral root motor; the first cervical nerve may lack the dorsal root. Oval swellings, the spinal ganglia, characterize the dorsal roots. They are formed of nerve cells that give rise to the sensory nerve fibres. The fibres of the ventral roots derive from cells in…
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spinal cord structure

In human nervous system: The spinal cord
…furnishes one dorsal and one ventral root. On this basis the spinal cord is divided into the following segments: 8 cervical (C), 12 thoracic (T), 5 lumbar (L), 5 sacral (S), and 1 coccygeal (Coc). Spinal nerve roots emerge via intervertebral foramina; lumbar and sacral spinal roots, descending for some…
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Dorsal root of spinal nerve
The formation of the spinal nerve from the dorsal and ventral roots
Details
Identifiers
Latin	radix posterior nervi spinalis
TA98	A14.2.00.030
TA2	6146
FMA	5980
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The dorsal root of spinal nerve (or posterior root of spinal nerve or sensory root)[1] is one of two "roots" which emerge from the spinal cord. It emerges directly from the spinal cord, and travels to the dorsal root ganglion. Nerve fibres with the ventral root then combine to form a spinal nerve. The dorsal root transmits sensory information, forming the afferent sensory root of a spinal nerve.

1 Structure
2 Additional images
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

Structure[edit]

The root emerges from the posterior part of the spinal cord and travels to the dorsal root ganglion. The dorsal root ganglia contain the pseudo-unipolar cell bodies of the nerve fibres which travel from the ganglia through the root into the spinal cord.

The lateral division of the dorsal root contains lightly myelinated and unmyelinated fibres of small diameter[citation needed]. These carry pain and temperature sensation. These fibers cross through the anterior white commissure to form the anterolateral system in the lateral funiculus.

The medial division of the dorsal root contains myelinated fibres of larger diameter[citation needed]. These transmit information of discriminative touch, pressure, vibration, and conscious proprioception originating from spinal levels C2 through S5. These fibers are pushed in towards the posterior median sulcus to form the gracile fasciculus and the cuneate fasciculus of the posterior column–medial lemniscus pathway. If the dorsal root of a spinal nerve were severed it would lead to numbness in certain areas of the body.

Additional images[edit]

Cervical vertebra
Medulla spinalis
A spinal nerve with its anterior and posterior roots.
The sensory tract.
Diagrammatic transverse section of the medulla spinalis and its membranes.
A portion of the spinal cord, showing its right lateral surface. The dura is opened and arranged to show the nerve roots.
Scheme showing structure of a typical spinal nerve.

References[edit]

^ "Spinal Nerves - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2021-05-06.

External links[edit]

Anatomy figure: 02:04-06 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Superior view of a section through the spinal cord within the vertebral foramen."
Anatomy Atlases - Microscopic Anatomy, plate 06.114 - "Spinal Root Nerve Fibers"
Dorsal Root - Cell Centered Database

Nervous tissue

CNS

Tissue Types

Grey matter
White matter
- Projection fibers
- Association fiber
- Commissural fiber
- Lemniscus
- Nerve tract
- Decussation
Neuropil
Meninges

Cell Types

Neuronal

Pyramidal
Purkinje
Granule
Spindle
Medium spiny
Interneuron

Glial

Astrocyte
Ependymal cells
- Tanycyte
Microglia
Oligodendrocyte
Oligodendrocyte progenitor cell

PNS

General

Dorsal
- Root
- Ganglion
- Ramus
Ventral
- Root
- Ramus
Ramus communicans
- Gray
- White
Autonomic ganglion (Preganglionic nerve fibers
Postganglionic nerve fibers)
Nerve fascicle
Funiculus

Connective tissues

Epineurium
Perineurium
Endoneurium

Neuroglia

Myelination: Schwann cell
- Neurilemma
- Myelin incisure
- Node of Ranvier
- Internodal segment
Satellite glial cell

Neurons/
nerve fibers

Parts

Soma

Axon hillock

Axon

Telodendron
Axon terminals
Axoplasm
Axolemma
Neurofibril/neurofilament

Dendrite

- Nissl body
- Dendritic spine
- Apical dendrite/Basal dendrite

Types

Bipolar
Unipolar
Pseudounipolar
Multipolar
Interneuron
- Renshaw

Afferent nerve fiber/
Sensory neuron

GSA
GVA
SSA
SVA
fibers
- Ia or Aα
- Ib or Golgi or Aα
- II or Aβ and Aγ
- III or Aδ or fast pain
- IV or C or slow pain

Efferent nerve fiber/
Motor neuron

GSE
GVE
SVE
Upper motor neuron
Lower motor neuron
- α motorneuron
- β motorneuron
- γ motorneuron

Termination

Synapse

Electrical synapse/Gap junction
Chemical synapse
- Synaptic vesicle
- Active zone
- Postsynaptic density
Autapse
Ribbon synapse
Neuromuscular junction

Sensory receptors

Meissner's corpuscle
Merkel nerve ending
Pacinian corpuscle
Ruffini ending
Muscle spindle
Free nerve ending
Nociceptor
Olfactory receptor neuron
Photoreceptor cell
Hair cell
Taste receptor

Authority control: Scientific databases

Terminologia Anatomica

What is the difference between ventral root and dorsal root?

ventral roots (anterior roots) allow motor neurons to exit the spinal cord. dorsal roots (posterior roots) allow sensory neurons to enter the spinal cord.

What is the difference between the dorsal and ventral roots of the spinal nerves quizlet?

Dorsal rootlets carry sensory impulses to the spinal cord, and ventral rootlets carry impulses from the spinal cord to the body. A spinal nerve is a mixed nerve, which carries motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the body.

What are spinal nerve roots How does the dorsal root differ from the ventral root quizlet?

How does the dorsal root differ from the ventral root? Spinal nerve roots are bundles of nerve fibers that project from each side of the spinal cord. Dorsal: carry sensory information into the spinal cord. Ventral: carry motor information out of the spinal cord.

What is dorsal and ventral in spinal cord?

The most important terms of direction for studying spinal cord anatomy are ventral (which means "towards the stomach") and dorsal (which means "towards the back"). Note that in human anatomy, the ventral side of the spinal cord corresponds to the anterior side, and the dorsal side corresponds to the posterior side.