Description
There are normally 31 pairs of spinal nerves:
—eight cervical;
—twelve thoracic;
—five lumbar;
—five sacral;
—one coccygeal.
Spinal nerves are connected to the spinal cord via two roots. The posterior (dorsal) root contains sensory fibers in which their cell bodies are found in the spinal ganglia. The anterior (ventral) root contains motor fibers and, unlike the posterior roots, their cell bodies are located in the anterior regions of the spinal cord.
The anterior and posterior roots divide into multiple, smaller rootlets before entering the spinal cord.
Related parts of the anatomy
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Spinal Root
The spinal root arises from the spinal nucleus found in the ventral gray column extending down to the fifth cervical vertebral level.
