Anterior Horn (Noun)
Meaning
One of the two roots of a spinal nerve that passes ventrally from the spinal cord and that consists of motor fibers.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The anterior horn of the spinal cord contains the cell bodies of motor neurons that transmit signals to skeletal muscles.
- Damage to the anterior horn can result in muscle weakness or paralysis, as seen in polio.
- The anterior horn is part of the ventral root of a spinal nerve, which emerges from the spinal cord and extends to the intervertebral foramen.
- Diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis primarily affect the anterior horn cells, leading to progressive muscle degeneration.
- The anterior horn is a crucial component of the motor control pathway, where upper motor neurons from the brain converge to instruct lower motor neurons tomove muscles.