Linked Life Data

17664045

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/17664045

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2007-9-10
pubmed:abstractText
The mammalian corticospinal tract is known to contain axons that travel from the cerebral cortex to various levels of the spinal cord and its main function is thought to be the mediation of voluntary movement. The current study describes neuroanatomy related to the corticospinal tract of the giraffe. This animal presents a specific morphology that may present challenges to this neural pathway in terms of the metabolism required for correct functioning and maintenance of potentially very long axons. The spinal cord of the giraffe can be up to 2.6 m long and forms the conus medullaris at the level of the sacral vertebrae. Primary motor cortex was found in a location typical of that of other ungulates, and the cytoarchitectonic appearance of this cortical area was similar to that previously reported for sheep, despite the potential distance that the axons emanating from the layer 5 gigantopyramidal neurons must travel. A typically mammalian dorsal striatopallidal complex was transected by a strongly coalesced internal capsule passing through to the pons and forming clearly identifiable but somewhat flattened (in a dorsoventral plane) pyramidal tracts. These tracts terminated in a spinal cord that exhibited no unique anatomical features related to its length. Our results, at least at the level of organization investigated herein, show that the corticospinal tract of the giraffe resembled that of a typical ungulate.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Aug
pubmed:issn
0306-4522
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
24
pubmed:volume
148
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
522-34
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2007
pubmed:articleTitle
Observations on the giraffe central nervous system related to the corticospinal tract, motor cortex and spinal cord: what difference does a long neck make?
pubmed:affiliation
School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't