This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Fasciculus cuneatus is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| Fasciculus cuneatus | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Fasciculus cuneatus is 3b, in blue at upper right. | |
 |
|
| Diagram of the principal fasciculi of the spinal cord. | |
| Latin | fasciculus cuneatus medullae spinalis |
| Gray's | subject #185 763 |
The fasciculus cuneatus (tract of Burdach, named for Karl Friedrich Burdach) is a bundle of nerves in the spinal cord which primarily transmits information from the arms. It is part of the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway.
Contents |
Physical characteristics
The fasciculus cuneatus is triangular on transverse section, and lies between the fasciculus gracilis and the posterior column, its base corresponding with the surface of the medulla spinalis.
Its fibers, larger than those of the fasciculus gracilis, are mostly derived from the same source, viz., the posterior nerve roots.
Some ascend for only a short distance in the tract, and, entering the gray matter, come into close relationship with the cells of the dorsal nucleus; while others can be traced as far as the medulla oblongata, where they end in the gracile nucleus and cuneate nucleus.
Information transmitted
The Fasciculus cuneatus transmits fine touch, fine pressure, vibration and proprioception information from spinal nerves located in dermatomes C1 through T6.
Neurons
The Fasciculus cuneatus tract is composed of 1st order neurons that synapse onto 2nd order neurons in the brain stem.
The 2nd order neurons decussate in the brainstem and continue on to the thalamus where the 2nd order neurons synapse onto 3rd order neurons.
The 3rd order neurons carry the received signals to the somatosensory cortex where the signals, in the form of action potentials are interpreted.
Additional images
|
|
|
|
|
See also
External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
This neuroscience article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 2 September 2008, at 08:14.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Fasciculus cuneatus".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.