Question

What kind of information is carried by the ventral roots to the spinal cord?

1) Motor information
2) Sensory information
3) Both motor and sensory information
4) None of the above

Answer 1

The ventral roots of the spinal cord are responsible for carrying motor information from the spinal cord to the muscles and glands, functioning as efferent pathways.

Step-by-step explanation:

The ventral roots of the spinal cord carry motor information from the spinal cord to the body's muscles and glands. These motor neurons, with cell bodies in the ventral gray matter of the spinal cord, are primarily stimulated by interneurons within the spinal cord but may also be directly stimulated by sensory neurons. They project to the muscles through the ventral roots, conveying the brain's commands to the muscles so they can respond accordingly. In contrast, sensory information from receptors in the skin, muscles, and sensory organs is carried through the dorsal roots, where the cell bodies of sensory neurons are located in the dorsal root ganglia. Therefore, the ventral roots are involved in efferent (outgoing) pathways.