Motor pathway neurons control your motor skills such as walking, running, lifting your arm.
Lower motor neurons are referred to as the final pathway because they are the last stage in the neural circuitry that conveys motor commands from the central nervous system to the muscles. They directly innervate the muscles and are responsible for initiating muscle contraction and generating movement.
Many upper motor neurons synapse with lower motor neurons in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. This is where the cell bodies of lower motor neurons are located, allowing for the direct control of muscle function.
The motor pathway of the autonomic nervous system typically involves two neurons: a preganglionic neuron that originates in the central nervous system and a postganglionic neuron that extends to the target tissue or organ.
Extrapyramidal pathway
The descending pathway from the red nucleus to the lower motor neurons is known as the rubrospinal tract. This tract plays a role in the coordination of movement and the regulation of muscle tone, particularly in the upper limbs. It originates in the red nucleus of the midbrain and descends to influence motor neurons in the spinal cord, primarily facilitating flexor muscle activity.
The neurotransmitter in a somatic motor pathway is acetylcholine. It is released by motor neurons at the neuromuscular junction to stimulate muscle contraction.
Nerve impulses are carried from the central nervous system to the effector organs (muscles or glands) by motor neurons. These motor neurons form a pathway known as the efferent pathway.
Motor Neurons
Motor neurons
Lower motor neurons are referred to as the final pathway because they are the last stage in the neural circuitry that conveys motor commands from the central nervous system to the muscles. They directly innervate the muscles and are responsible for initiating muscle contraction and generating movement.
Many upper motor neurons synapse with lower motor neurons in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. This is where the cell bodies of lower motor neurons are located, allowing for the direct control of muscle function.
The first synapse in the motor pathway occurs in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. Motor neurons, which originate in the motor cortex of the brain, send their axons down through the corticospinal tract and synapse with lower motor neurons located in the anterior horn. This connection is crucial for transmitting motor commands from the central nervous system to skeletal muscles.
The motor pathway of the autonomic nervous system typically involves two neurons: a preganglionic neuron that originates in the central nervous system and a postganglionic neuron that extends to the target tissue or organ.
Interneurons are neurons found within the central nervous system (primarily the brain or spinal cord) that connect sensory (afferent) neurons to motor (efferent) neurons. Often these neurons are part of a polysynaptic reflex arc.interneurons. They are also called association neurons.
Extrapyramidal pathway
The descending pathway from the red nucleus to the lower motor neurons is known as the rubrospinal tract. This tract plays a role in the coordination of movement and the regulation of muscle tone, particularly in the upper limbs. It originates in the red nucleus of the midbrain and descends to influence motor neurons in the spinal cord, primarily facilitating flexor muscle activity.
Damage to somatic motor neurons would not impair micturition, as micturition is primarily controlled by autonomic motor neurons. Somatic motor neurons control voluntary muscle movements, while autonomic motor neurons control involuntary functions like bladder contractions during micturition.