Fasciculus cuneatus
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| Fasciculus cuneatus | |
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| Fasciculus cuneatus is 3b, in blue at upper right. | |
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| Diagram of the principal fasciculi of the spinal cord. | |
| Latin | fasciculus cuneatus medullae spinalis |
| Gray's | subject #185 763 |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | f_03/12355858 |
The fasciculus cuneatus (tract of Burdach) 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 and cuneate nuclei.
The Fasciculus cuneatus transmits fine touch, fine pressure, vibration and proprioception information from spinal nerves located in dermatomes C1 through T6. 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 Thalymus 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.
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This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
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