Spinal Cord vs Spinal Nerves

[SuperSaiyan3]

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I've got 2 questions...

1. what is the difference? Do the spinal nerves just branch of the spinal cord?

2. It says in my study book that the spinal cord ends off at the 1st lumbar vertebra... but then in the section about spinal nerves, it says that their nerve outputs go all the way to the sacral vertebra. Do they nerves just sprout out all the way from the 1st lumbar to the sacrum?

Confusion at its finest. 😕

 

[schlieren]

Would you mind tell us what your study book is? As others have pointed out, the questions you draw from your study book are way beyond the scope of MCAT. Either you are using the wrong study book, or it is written by a company that does not understand what MCAT is!

 

[SuperSaiyan3]

it's my personal study book.. not a prep book necessarily. I took the MCAT this summer and I am taking courses in University now that I noticed that they asked a lot about. Their passages do require problem solving skills but it helps a LOT if you're already familiar with the material. The mcat prepbooks only cover the basics and you'll find that people always get overwhelmed by the real deal...

My question, by the way, is not really that far out of the scope of an MCAT... i think knowing what a spinal cord and spinal nerve would be pretty integral to the nervous system...

 

[Isoprop]

I've got 2 questions...

1. what is the difference? Do the spinal nerves just branch of the spinal cord?

2. It says in my study book that the spinal cord ends off at the 1st lumbar vertebra... but then in the section about spinal nerves, it says that their nerve outputs go all the way to the sacral vertebra. Do they nerves just sprout out all the way from the 1st lumbar to the sacrum?

Confusion at its finest. 😕

1. yes
2. yes.

Also, this is beyond the scope of the MCAT. The MCAT will not test this knowledge. Anatomical knowledge may be presented or be on the MCAT but you won't be tested on it. Or if you are tested, it is information on the passage.

 

[engineeredout]

I've got 2 questions...

1. what is the difference? Do the spinal nerves just branch of the spinal cord?

2. It says in my study book that the spinal cord ends off at the 1st lumbar vertebra... but then in the section about spinal nerves, it says that their nerve outputs go all the way to the sacral vertebra. Do they nerves just sprout out all the way from the 1st lumbar to the sacrum?

Confusion at its finest. 😕

The spinal cord itself ends around the L2 level, but the spinal nerves continue down. There are 31 spinal nerves: 8-Cervical, 12-Thoracic, 5-Lumbar, 5-Sacral, 1-Coccygeal. The spinal nerves will contribute to nerve plexuses (plexi?) which will continue all the way down to the feet.

 

[spicedmanna]

This sort of anatomical relationship is probably beyond the scope of the MCAT, as noted above. I'd focus more on the physiology of nerve conduction and neural transmission, which are concepts that are more likely to be tested.

OP, are you getting the benefit of experienced help or proper prep material? I am asking because it seems like you are focusing on peripheral or low yield items rather than what is going to help you score higher. The MCAT prep materials only cover the basics because that is what is tested. I know it seems basic, but if you don't know the basic concepts cold, it won't matter if you know advanced material.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

He posted in a different thread that this stuff is not for the MCAT but rather, he has a pathophys final on Monday:

hey thanks for the replies lads. That clears it up well for me. Makes sense that if the pressure got built up by a pulmonary stenosis, a R-to-L shunt would occur. So normally VSD is a L-to-R shunt... gotcha. I guess that's the case no pulmonary shunt is occurring.

hahah yeah this has nothing to do with the MCAT. I'm just studying for my Pathophysiology class final exam on Monday and my prof tends not to answer emails on weekends so I was pretty much screwed unless somebody could explain it for me.

Thankfully I remembered this forum offers some pretty good study help. Thanks again for the help!

 

[spicedmanna]

He posted in a different thread that this stuff is not for the MCAT but rather, he has a pathophys final on Monday:

Ah ha! I knew it was a deception. Thanks for the heads-up. Poor form on the part of the OP. 👎

This forum is not for homework help.

 

[ksmi117]

SDN is not for homework help. Closing.