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Which white matter tract is this? signals between spinal segments

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Final answer:

The corticospinal tract is the white matter tract that facilitates signaling between spinal segments and is crucial for generating movement. It descends from the cortex and passes through the internal capsule, cerebral peduncles, and pons before reaching the medulla, where it crosses at the pyramidal decussation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The white matter tract that signals between spinal segments is known as the corticospinal tract, which is responsible for generating movement. This tract begins its descent from the cortex and makes its way through various sections of the brain, including passing through the midbrain as the cerebral peduncles and through the pons before reaching the medulla. It is at the pyramidal decussation at the medulla where most of the fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The corticospinal tract then continues into the spinal cord, carrying motor commands down from the brain. Spinal white matter is segregated into columns: the anterior and lateral columns, which carry both ascending and descending tracts, and the posterior columns, which are primarily composed of ascending sensory tracts.

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