DORSAL ROOT Meaning and
Definition
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The dorsal root is a component of the spinal nerve that emerges from the spinal cord. It is one of the two major roots of a spinal nerve, with the other being the ventral root. Each spinal nerve is formed by the convergence of one dorsal root and one ventral root.
The dorsal root primarily serves as the pathway for sensory information to enter the spinal cord. It consists of a bundle of nerve fibers that originate from sensory neurons located in the dorsal ganglia, also known as the spinal ganglia, which are located just outside the spinal cord.
These sensory neurons detect various types of information, such as pain, temperature, touch, and proprioception, which is the sense of body position and movement. Once the sensory neurons receive these signals from the body, they transmit them to the dorsal root, which then conducts the information towards the spinal cord.
Upon reaching the spinal cord, the fibers of the dorsal root enter the dorsal horn, which is a region of gray matter in the spinal cord. In the dorsal horn, the sensory information is relayed to other neurons, which process and integrate the signals before sending them to the brain for further interpretation.
In summary, the dorsal root is a component of the spinal nerve that carries sensory information from the body to the spinal cord. It plays a crucial role in the transmission of sensory signals that contribute to our perception of the external environment and our body's position and movement.
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A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for DORSAL ROOT
- sorsal root
- xorsal root
- forsal root
- rorsal root
- eorsal root
- dirsal root
- dkrsal root
- dlrsal root
- dprsal root
- d0rsal root
- d9rsal root
- doesal root
- dodsal root
- dofsal root
- dotsal root
- do5sal root
- do4sal root
- doraal root
- dorzal root
- dorxal root
Etymology of DORSAL ROOT
The word "dorsal" comes from the Latin word "dorsalis", which means "pertaining to the back". It is derived from the Latin word "dorsum", meaning "back".
The word "root" comes from the Old English word "rot", which means "underground part of a plant". It has its origins in the Proto-Germanic word "wrot", meaning "root".
When combined, "dorsal root" refers to the portion of a nerve that emerges from the back of the spinal cord, specifically the posterior or back side of the spinal cord.
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