The dorsal column is much broader. A sulcus on the dorsal surface may not always be seen clearly, but the column can be seen to be made of a slender medial band and a triangular lateral area. This is indicated by the straight lines. The medial part is the fasciculus gracilis, and the lateral, the fasciculus cuneatus (wedge-shaped).

This, with the relative amount of the white matter and the oval cross section indicates that this is the cervical part of the spinal cord. (The thoracic cord is almost round in cross section, has slender grey horns and also shows the lateral or intermediate grey horn between the ventral and dorsal ones).

In the lateral funiculus, the black outlines indicate the approximate locations of two major descending tracts. The larger one is the lateral corticospinal, the smaller one is the rubrospinal.

The blue outlines indicate the two spinocerebellar tracts, dorsal and ventral, in their relative positions.

The large yellow outline spans the lateral and ventral funiculi, and represents the anterolateral system (spinothalamic tracts).

What are the functions of the ascending tracts (dorsal column and spinothalamic) - are they crossed or uncrossed? Why? This is a good point to review the general somatic sensory system.

What information do the spinocerebellar tracts carry? What is its functional significance?