MODEL OF HUMAN SPINAL CORD

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata, in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone).

The backbone encloses the central canal of the spinal cord, which contains cerebrospinal fluid.

The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system (CNS).

In humans, the spinal cord begins at the occipital bone, passing through the foramen magnum and then enters the spinal canal at the beginning of the cervical vertebere.

It is around 45 cm (18 in) long in adult men and around 43 cm (17 in) long in adult women.

The diameter of the spinal cord ranges from 13 mm (1⁄2 in) in the cervical and lumbar regions to 6.4 mm (1⁄4 in) in the thoracic area.