Spinal Cord Quiz: 15 Questions With Answers
Updated
The spinal cord transmits signals between brain and body, contains grey and white matter, and mediates reflexes. Injuries disrupt motor and sensory pathways below the lesion.
This free spinal cord quiz is for anatomy and neuroscience students. It covers spinal cord segments, grey and white matter, ascending and descending tracts, reflexes, and common injury patterns. Each of the 15 multiple-choice questions includes a clear explanation, so you can learn as you go.
Before starting, recall that the spinal cord is the CNS structure within the vertebral column. It has a butterfly-shaped grey core for processing and surrounding white matter for communication. Injuries produce predictable deficits based on which tracts or segments are damaged.
The questions
How many spinal cord segments are there in the human body?
In adults, at which vertebral level does the spinal cord typically terminate?
What fluid is found within the central canal of the spinal cord?
Which type of matter is located centrally in the spinal cord?
What type of neurons are found in the ventral horn of the spinal cord?
Which ascending tract carries pain and temperature information to the brain?
Which descending tract is primarily responsible for voluntary fine motor control?
Where do the axons of the dorsal column pathway decussate (cross to the opposite side)?
Which type of reflex is the knee-jerk (patellar) reflex?
Which spinal cord segments give rise to the phrenic nerve that innervates the diaphragm?
In Brown-Séquard syndrome (hemisection of the spinal cord), what is lost on the side of the lesion?
Which lamina of the spinal grey matter is known as the substantia gelatinosa?
Damage to the lateral corticospinal tract below its decussation in the medulla causes what pattern of weakness?
Which artery supplies the anterior two-thirds of the spinal cord?
What is the function of the dorsal spinocerebellar tract?
0 of 15 answered · 0 correct
Cheat sheet: key terms
| Grey matter | Butterfly-shaped central core containing neuronal cell bodies; divided into dorsal horn (sensory) and ventral horn (motor). |
|---|---|
| White matter | Surrounds grey matter; contains myelinated axons organized into ascending sensory and descending motor tracts. |
| Dorsal column pathway | Carries fine touch, vibration, and proprioception; decussates in the medulla. |
| Spinothalamic tract | Ascends in anterolateral white matter; carries pain and temperature; decussates at spinal cord entry level. |
| Corticospinal tract | Main voluntary motor pathway; originates in motor cortex; decussates in medulla; terminates on ventral horn motor neurons. |
| Spinal segments | 31 pairs of spinal nerves emerge from the cord: 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, 1 coccygeal. |
| Reflex arc | Simple neural pathway: sensory neuron to interneuron or motor neuron; mediates rapid, involuntary responses like the stretch reflex. |
| Brown-Séquard syndrome | Hemisection of cord: ipsilateral loss of motor and proprioception, contralateral loss of pain and temperature. |
Answers explained
Show all 15 answers
- How many spinal cord segments are there in the human body? 31. The spinal cord has 31 segments: 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 1 coccygeal.
- In adults, at which vertebral level does the spinal cord typically terminate? L1–L2. The spinal cord ends as the conus medullaris around the L1–L2 vertebrae, below which lies the cauda equina.
- What fluid is found within the central canal of the spinal cord? Cerebrospinal fluid. The central canal is continuous with the brain's ventricular system and contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
- Which type of matter is located centrally in the spinal cord? Grey matter. Grey matter forms the central H-shaped core; white matter surrounds it on the outside.
- What type of neurons are found in the ventral horn of the spinal cord? Motor neurons. The ventral horn contains lower motor neurons that directly innervate skeletal muscle fibers.
- Which ascending tract carries pain and temperature information to the brain? Spinothalamic tract. The spinothalamic tract ascends in the anterolateral white matter and relays pain and temperature.
- Which descending tract is primarily responsible for voluntary fine motor control? Corticospinal tract. The corticospinal tract originates in the motor cortex and is essential for skilled, voluntary movements.
- Where do the axons of the dorsal column pathway decussate (cross to the opposite side)? In the medulla oblongata. The dorsal column–medial lemniscus pathway decussates in the medulla after synapsing in the gracile and cuneate nuclei.
- Which type of reflex is the knee-jerk (patellar) reflex? Monosynaptic stretch reflex. The knee-jerk is a monosynaptic stretch reflex: a muscle spindle afferent directly synapses on a motor neuron.
- Which spinal cord segments give rise to the phrenic nerve that innervates the diaphragm? C3–C5. The phrenic nerve arises from C3–C5. Injuries above C3 can impair breathing and require mechanical ventilation.
- In Brown-Séquard syndrome (hemisection of the spinal cord), what is lost on the side of the lesion? Ipsilateral motor function and proprioception. Because the corticospinal and dorsal column tracts are uncrossed at spinal cord level, their loss is ipsilateral. Pain and temperature are lost contralaterally.
- Which lamina of the spinal grey matter is known as the substantia gelatinosa? Lamina II. Lamina II, or substantia gelatinosa, is a key region for modulating pain signals in the dorsal horn.
- Damage to the lateral corticospinal tract below its decussation in the medulla causes what pattern of weakness? Ipsilateral weakness. After decussating, the tract descends ipsilaterally, so injury below the decussation causes same-side weakness.
- Which artery supplies the anterior two-thirds of the spinal cord? Anterior spinal artery. The anterior spinal artery supplies the anterior two-thirds, including motor pathways. Occlusion causes motor loss with preserved proprioception.
- What is the function of the dorsal spinocerebellar tract? Unconscious proprioception from the lower limb. The dorsal spinocerebellar tract carries proprioceptive information from the lower limb to the cerebellum for coordination, without reaching consciousness.
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