Gross Anatomy Exam 1 Review With complete solution–
Expert Verified | Latest Questions 2025
What is the axial skeleton? - skull, spine, ribs and sternum
What is the appendicular skeleton? - Scapula, clavicle, hips, limb bones
Name and number the vertebrae - 33 total
7 cervical
12 thoracic
5 lumbar
5 sacral (fused)
4 coccygeal (fused)
What are the two major parts of the intervertebral disc? - 1. anulus fibrosus
3. nucleus pulposus
What is the anulus fibrosus? - outer layer comprised of fibrocartilage
What is nucleus pulposus? - inner layer comprised of gel-like mucoid tissue, eventually
turning to fibrocartilage
Lordosis - convex anteriorly in cervical and lumbar
Kyphosis - hunchback. concave anteriorly thoracic, sacral
What is an example of primary curvature? - kyphosis
Scoliosis - abnormal lateral spine curvature, in frontal plane. Includes vertebral rotation.
What is the vertebral foramen? - opening between body and arch, series creates
vertebral canal, spinal cord passes through.
What is the intervertebral foramen? - lateral opening between two adjacent vertebrae.
Spinal nerve passes through.
What is the vertebral canal? - continuation of vertebral foramen of adjacent vertebrae,
courses from foramen magnum superiorly to sacral hiatus inferiorly. Follows vertebral
curves. Regional shape changes.
What are the contents of the vertebral canal? - internal vertebral venous plexus, spinal
arteries and veins, meninges, spinal cord.
What comprises the central nervous system? - brain, spinal cord, optic nerve, and retina
,What comprises the peripheral nervous system? - cranial and spinla/peripheral nerves,
ganglia
What comprises the somatic nervous system? - afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor)
What comprises the autonomic nervous system? - sympathetic and parasympathetic
What comprises the sympathetic nervous system? - Efferent (only motor), afferent
(sensory) fibers.
What comprises the parasympathetic nervous system? - efferent (only motor)
What does the somatic nervous system innervate? - to body: skin and muscle
What does the autonomic nervous system innervate (as part of the PNS)> - mainly to
viscera, sympathetic system shown here.
What does the central nervous system innervate> - spinal cord. does contain parts of
somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
Peripheral nerves - lateral to spinal nerve. Lateral to intervertebral foramen.
Dorsal ramus - branches from spinal nerve. Innervates rest of body; may mix spinal
levels to form plexuses.
Spinal nerve - Arise from spinal cord. Consist of rootlets which unite to form roots which
form spinal nerve. Spinal nerve is within intervertebral foramen.
What are the ventral rami responsible for? - Motor, efferent
What are the dorsal rami responsible for? - sensory, afferent
Grey matter - inner; cell bodies
White matter - outer; axons; corresponds to myelin
Ventral horn - mostly motor (efferent)
Dorsal horn - mostly sensory (afferent)
Lateral horn - sympathetic neurons
Where is most of the white matter? - cervical region
Where is most of the grey matter? - cervical and lumbar regions
, Ventral rot - axons of only motor (efferent)
Dorsal root - axons of only sensory (afferent)
Dorsal root ganglion - collection of cell bodies outside of CNS (sensory)
Autonomic motor neurons - cell body in lateral horn. Information travels away from SC.
Somatic motor neuron - cell body in lateral horn. Information travels away from spinal
cord.
How many coccygeal spinal nerves? - 1 coccygeal
How many pairs of spinal nerves are distributed among 5 regions? - 31
Where do spina nerves exit? - intervertebral foramen
In the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, where is the spinal nerve located in relation? -
inferior to vertebrae of the same name.
What is the terminal end of the spinal cord called? - conus medullaris
Cauda equina - elongated lumbar and sacral nerve roots. Resemble horse's tail.
T/F Upper roots are longer than lower roots of the spinal nerves. - False, the lower roots
are longer because the spinal cord is shorter than the vertebral coulmn.
Where is the cervical enlargement of the spinal cord? - C4-T1, upper limb and brachial
plexus
Where is the lumbosacral enlargement of the spinal cord? - T11-S1, lower limb and
lumbosacral plexus
Dermomyotomes - Area associated with dorsal and ventral rami on each side of body.
Dermatomes - (sensory) segmental cutaneous innervation, area of skin supplied by one
spinal nerve.
Myotome - (motor), mass of muscle supplied by one spinal nerve
Ventral rami form - plexuses
Do dorsal rami or thoracic levels form plexuses? - no
Parathesia - sensory deficit. Prickling/tingling (altered sensation)
Expert Verified | Latest Questions 2025
What is the axial skeleton? - skull, spine, ribs and sternum
What is the appendicular skeleton? - Scapula, clavicle, hips, limb bones
Name and number the vertebrae - 33 total
7 cervical
12 thoracic
5 lumbar
5 sacral (fused)
4 coccygeal (fused)
What are the two major parts of the intervertebral disc? - 1. anulus fibrosus
3. nucleus pulposus
What is the anulus fibrosus? - outer layer comprised of fibrocartilage
What is nucleus pulposus? - inner layer comprised of gel-like mucoid tissue, eventually
turning to fibrocartilage
Lordosis - convex anteriorly in cervical and lumbar
Kyphosis - hunchback. concave anteriorly thoracic, sacral
What is an example of primary curvature? - kyphosis
Scoliosis - abnormal lateral spine curvature, in frontal plane. Includes vertebral rotation.
What is the vertebral foramen? - opening between body and arch, series creates
vertebral canal, spinal cord passes through.
What is the intervertebral foramen? - lateral opening between two adjacent vertebrae.
Spinal nerve passes through.
What is the vertebral canal? - continuation of vertebral foramen of adjacent vertebrae,
courses from foramen magnum superiorly to sacral hiatus inferiorly. Follows vertebral
curves. Regional shape changes.
What are the contents of the vertebral canal? - internal vertebral venous plexus, spinal
arteries and veins, meninges, spinal cord.
What comprises the central nervous system? - brain, spinal cord, optic nerve, and retina
,What comprises the peripheral nervous system? - cranial and spinla/peripheral nerves,
ganglia
What comprises the somatic nervous system? - afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor)
What comprises the autonomic nervous system? - sympathetic and parasympathetic
What comprises the sympathetic nervous system? - Efferent (only motor), afferent
(sensory) fibers.
What comprises the parasympathetic nervous system? - efferent (only motor)
What does the somatic nervous system innervate? - to body: skin and muscle
What does the autonomic nervous system innervate (as part of the PNS)> - mainly to
viscera, sympathetic system shown here.
What does the central nervous system innervate> - spinal cord. does contain parts of
somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
Peripheral nerves - lateral to spinal nerve. Lateral to intervertebral foramen.
Dorsal ramus - branches from spinal nerve. Innervates rest of body; may mix spinal
levels to form plexuses.
Spinal nerve - Arise from spinal cord. Consist of rootlets which unite to form roots which
form spinal nerve. Spinal nerve is within intervertebral foramen.
What are the ventral rami responsible for? - Motor, efferent
What are the dorsal rami responsible for? - sensory, afferent
Grey matter - inner; cell bodies
White matter - outer; axons; corresponds to myelin
Ventral horn - mostly motor (efferent)
Dorsal horn - mostly sensory (afferent)
Lateral horn - sympathetic neurons
Where is most of the white matter? - cervical region
Where is most of the grey matter? - cervical and lumbar regions
, Ventral rot - axons of only motor (efferent)
Dorsal root - axons of only sensory (afferent)
Dorsal root ganglion - collection of cell bodies outside of CNS (sensory)
Autonomic motor neurons - cell body in lateral horn. Information travels away from SC.
Somatic motor neuron - cell body in lateral horn. Information travels away from spinal
cord.
How many coccygeal spinal nerves? - 1 coccygeal
How many pairs of spinal nerves are distributed among 5 regions? - 31
Where do spina nerves exit? - intervertebral foramen
In the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, where is the spinal nerve located in relation? -
inferior to vertebrae of the same name.
What is the terminal end of the spinal cord called? - conus medullaris
Cauda equina - elongated lumbar and sacral nerve roots. Resemble horse's tail.
T/F Upper roots are longer than lower roots of the spinal nerves. - False, the lower roots
are longer because the spinal cord is shorter than the vertebral coulmn.
Where is the cervical enlargement of the spinal cord? - C4-T1, upper limb and brachial
plexus
Where is the lumbosacral enlargement of the spinal cord? - T11-S1, lower limb and
lumbosacral plexus
Dermomyotomes - Area associated with dorsal and ventral rami on each side of body.
Dermatomes - (sensory) segmental cutaneous innervation, area of skin supplied by one
spinal nerve.
Myotome - (motor), mass of muscle supplied by one spinal nerve
Ventral rami form - plexuses
Do dorsal rami or thoracic levels form plexuses? - no
Parathesia - sensory deficit. Prickling/tingling (altered sensation)
