ASCENDING TRACTS
(Sensory physiology)
(Sensory physiology)
Before going in to the details of ANTEROLATERAL group of
ascending tracts, we should have a clear concept of ASCENDING TRACTS.... ..........
What the ASCENDING TRACTS are?
The answer to this question is that the spinal cord is
basically a downward elongated part of central nervous system. Among many
different functions which the spinal cord performs, in order to co-ordinate the
different body functions, ONE VERY IMPORTANT FUNCTION is that “it acts as a
conduit” for the transfer of information between the higher centers of the CNS,
i.e. brain, and different internal and external receptor systems, i.e. PNS.
Other functions include,
- It acts as a relay center for many types of sensory information.
- It acts as a reflex center for eliciting the local reflexes.
- It integrates and performs its role in motor control for some repetitive motions, such as walking. Higher signals only make a correction, when necessary.
- Some other autonomic functions. Mainly sympathetic, and also parasympathetic to some extent.
