The anterior horn is grey matter within the frontal region of the spinal cord. Anterior comes from the latin word ante “before”, which roughly translates into frontal.
The anterior horn contains cell bodies of alpha motor neurons, which innervate skeletal muscles, which as a result cause movement in our body. It also contains neurons responsible for local circuits and gamma motor neurons, which help regulate muscle spindle sensitivity.
Where is the anterior grey horn?
The anterior gray horn is located in the front facing side of the spinal cord.
What type of signal travels through the anterior horn?
The anterior horn consists of motor neurons, therefore the signal is motor.
What is anterior horn disease?
Anterior horn disease is one of a number of medical disorders affecting the anterior horn of the spinal cord. Anterior horn diseases include spinal muscular atrophy, poliomyelitis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, after the baseball player). The same disease also affected the famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.
What is the function of the anterior grey horn?
The anterior grey column contains motor neurons that affect the skeletal muscles. The function is to command our skeletal muscles to move.
What is another name for anterior horn cells?
The anterior grey column (also called the anterior cornu, anterior horn of spinal cord, motor horn or ventral horn) is the front column of grey matter in the spinal cord.