How Do You Spell FUNICULUS GRACILIS?

1. The term "funiculus gracilis" refers to a bundle of nerve fibers located in the spinal cord that is responsible for transmitting sensory information related to discriminative touch, conscious proprioception, and vibration sense from the body to the brain. Also known as the gracile fasciculus or medial fasciculus gracilis, it is one of the two major ascending tracts in the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway.

   The funiculus gracilis is situated in the posterior part of the spinal cord's white matter and extends throughout its entire length. It is primarily composed of long, myelinated nerve fibers that originate from the lower extremities and lower part of the trunk. These fibers enter the spinal cord and form synapses with second-order neurons in the gracile nucleus located in the medulla oblongata.

   Once the sensory information reaches these second-order neurons, they decussate in the lower medulla and travel upward via the medial lemniscus pathway to the thalamus. In the thalamus, the information is further relayed to various regions of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing touch, proprioception, and vibrations. This allows for the perception and interpretation of sensory stimuli originating from the lower part of the body.

   Therefore, the funiculus gracilis plays a crucial role in relaying sensory information related to touch, proprioception, and vibrations from the lower extremities and lower trunk to the brain, enabling the conscious perception of these sensations.

2. The upward prolongation of the fasciculus gracilis, or Goll's tract, in the medulla.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for FUNICULUS GRACILIS

The word "funiculus gracilis" is derived from Latin. Here's the breakdown of the etymology:

1. Funiculus:

- "Funiculus" comes from the Latin word "funiculus", which means "a small cord" or "a thin rope".

- The term is a diminutive form of "funis", meaning "rope" or "cord".

2. Gracilis:

- "Gracilis" is also a Latin word, derived from "gracilis" itself, which means "slender" or "thin".

When combined, "funiculus gracilis" translates to "thin cord" or "slender rope" in English. This term is often used in anatomy to refer to a specific part of the spinal cord.