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Spinal nerves are formed by the union of rootlets that originate from the dorsal and ventral horns of the spinal cord. The dorsal horn gives rise to several dorsal rootlets per section of spinal cord, and the ventral horn gives rise to several ventral rootlets per section of spinal cord. These rootlets converge to form the dorsal roots and the ventral roots, one from each spinal cord segment. Keep in mind that the dorsal horns are the location of the cell bodies upon which the afferent nerves from the periphery synapse. Hence, the dorsal roots and rootlets contain afferent fibers carrying sensory information from the periphery to the CNS. The ventral horns, on the other hand, are the home of the cell bodies for the motor neurons that carry motor information from the CNS to the periphery. Therefore, the ventral rootlets and roots contain efferent fibers. |
