Posterior grey column

Posterior Grey Column

File:Gray's Anatomy plate 759.png

Posterior grey column of the spinal cord. Image from Gray's Anatomy.

The Posterior grey column (also known as the dorsal horn, posterior horn, or dorsal root ganglion) is a key structure in the spinal cord. It is one of the three grey columns of the spinal cord; the others being the anterior grey column and the lateral grey column. The posterior grey column is responsible for receiving and transmitting sensory information from the body to the brain.

Structure

The posterior grey column is located at the back of the spinal cord, opposite the anterior grey column. It is shaped like a horn, hence the name 'dorsal horn'. The column is composed of neurons and glial cells, which support and protect the neurons.

Function

The primary function of the posterior grey column is to receive sensory information from the body. This information is transmitted to the brain via the spinal cord. The type of sensory information transmitted includes touch, temperature, pain, and proprioception (the sense of the relative position of one's own parts of the body).

Clinical significance

Damage to the posterior grey column can result in a loss of these sensory functions. Conditions such as tabes dorsalis, a form of neurosyphilis, can damage the posterior grey column and result in sensory ataxia and a loss of proprioception.

See also

• Spinal cord
• Anterior grey column
• Lateral grey column