Spinal cord (lumbar)                              Chart

                               
Cell types: Neuron, oligodendrocyte, astrocyte, microglia, ependymal cell
 

Differential diagnosis:
 Other nervous tissues such as the peripheral nerve have (circles) holes which are characteristic and the cerebral cortex does not have H-shaped grey matter with a  central canal. This is the main distinguishing feature of the spinal cord.

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Diagnostic Features:
a. Tissue is compact (e.g. liver) and there is no lumen visible. It consists mainly of neuronal cells with prominent axons (nerve fibers).
b. Darkly stained H-shaped central structure which is the grey matter. Also visible are the central canal placed centrally and the posterior, ventral and lateral horns of the grey matter.
c.  Lumbar region has small white matter.

Draw your own section here and make your diagnosis by data base selection below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Database selection: Practical Tissue Gross

Level 1: Select  compact
Level 2: Select nervous stissue from list of sclerous, muscular, connective, organ-glands and nervous tissues. Tissue has visible fibers (axons) and the relative homogeneity of nervous sections.
Level 3: Select spinal cord in view of the H-shaped grey matter.

White matter is small in the spinal cord but spinal cord itself is small.

Note the shape of the various horns of the grey matter in the lumbar region.

 

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