Rückenmarksnerv

A Rückenmarksnerv, also known as a spinal nerve, is a mixed nerve that carries motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the rest of the body. There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves in humans, categorized by their location in the vertebral column: 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 1 coccygeal. Each spinal nerve emerges from the spinal cord through an intervertebral foramen.

The spinal nerve is formed by the fusion of two roots: the dorsal root and the ventral root. The dorsal root contains sensory neurons whose cell bodies are located in the dorsal root ganglion. These neurons transmit sensory information from the body to the spinal cord. The ventral root contains motor neurons whose cell bodies are in the ventral horn of the spinal cord's gray matter. These neurons transmit motor commands from the spinal cord to muscles and glands. Once the dorsal and ventral roots merge, they form the spinal nerve, which then quickly branches into several rami.

The main rami include the dorsal ramus, which innervates the back muscles and skin, and the ventral ramus, which forms the major nerve plexuses (cervical, brachial, lumbar, and sacral plexuses) that supply the limbs and the anterior and lateral trunk. The autonomic nervous system is also involved, with sympathetic fibers often traveling with spinal nerves to control involuntary functions. Spinal nerves are crucial for sensation, movement, and maintaining homeostasis throughout the body. Damage to spinal nerves can result in a variety of neurological deficits, depending on the nerve involved and the extent of the injury.