The spinal cord, together with the brain, forms the central nervous system and is protected by three concentric meningeal layers — the outer dura mater, the middle arachnoid mater, and the inner pia mater — with the pia-derived denticulate ligaments and filum terminale anchoring it within the vertebral column. The spinal cord and its nerve roots are organized segmentally, corresponding to the vertebral regions (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, coccygeal), and the cord itself terminates well above the end of the vertebral column, a discrepancy explained by differential growth rates during development. This is a foundational topic in neuroanatomy, describing the protective and structural organization of the central nervous system's caudal extension.
The spinal cord, together with the brain, forms the central nervous system and is protected by three concentric meningeal layers — the outer dura mater, the middle arachnoid mater, and the inner pia …