Question

What is the spinal cord and how is it enclosed in the vertebral column?

Answer 1

Spinal cord:

1. The nervous tissue that forms a chord like structure running from the medulla oblongata located at the base of the brain to the entire length of the vertebral column is called the spinal cord.
2. It is a part of the central nervous system along with the brain.
3. It is enclosed by three meningeal layers just like the brain.

Vertebral column:

1. The spinal cord runs through the vertebral column which is composed of 33 bones called the vertebrae.
2. Each vertebrae has a hole in the central region through which the spinal cord passes through.
3. The shock absorbing function of the vertebral column is provided by the discs located between the vertebrae.

Hence, the spinal cord is the chord like nervous tissue extending from the base of the brain throughout the vertebral column passing through the central hole of the vertebrae.