Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is part of the central nervous system (CNS) with the brain and acts as the communication hub connecting to the peripheral nervous system (PNS). A bundle of nerves running through the spinal column, protected by vertebrae, is the primary pathway carrying sensory signals received from the body and partially processing them before sending to the brain for interpretation. And then receiving the brain’s motor commands and sending them to the muscles, enabling movement, as well as to glands and organs to respond to autonomic functions. The spinal cord can initiate quick responses to stimuli through neural circuits without conscious brain involvement, like withdrawing a hand from the hot stove or the knee-jerk reflex.