Rückenmarkabschnitte
Rückenmarkabschnitte, also known as spinal segments, are the individual units that make up the spinal cord. Each segment is characterized by a pair of nerve roots that exit the spinal cord and form a spinal nerve. These nerves supply sensory and motor information to various parts of the body. The spinal cord is divided into 31 segments in humans, with each segment corresponding to a specific region of the body. The segments are further categorized into cervical (neck), thoracic (chest), lumbar (lower back), sacral (pelvis), and coccygeal (tailbone) regions. Each segment contains gray matter, which processes sensory and motor information, and white matter, which contains ascending and descending tracts that convey information between the brain and the rest of the body. Damage to a spinal segment can result in partial or complete loss of function in the corresponding region of the body.