- spinal nerve
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Anat.any of a series of paired nerves that originate in the nerve roots of the spinal cord and emerge from the vertebrae on both sides of the spinal column, each branching out to innervate a specific region of the neck, trunk, or limbs.[1785-95]
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▪ anatomyin vertebrates, any one of many paired peripheral nerves that arise from the spinal cord. In humans there are 31 pairs: 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 1 coccygeal. Each pair connects the spinal cord with a specific region of the body. Near the spinal cord each spinal nerve branches into two roots. One, composed of sensory fibres, enters the spinal cord via the dorsal root; its cell bodies lie in a spinal ganglion that is outside the spinal cord. The other, composed of motor fibres, leaves the spinal cord via the ventral root; its cell bodies lie in specific areas of the spinal cord itself.* * *
Universalium. 2010.