News and Events Spinal Cord Module
See the movie
The following movie explores regenerative medicine and the spinal cord:
Welcome to the spinal cord module! Did you know the longest cells in the body are the neurons in the spinal cord? Learn about their importance and function and how regenerative medicine is working towards revolutionay treatments of spinal cord injuries.
The spinal cord is soft like jelly and about as big around as a thumb; it is encased and protected by the backbone. The spinal cord is made of the same kind of the cells as the brain, neuron cells. Both organs form the central nervous system.
The spinal cord carries messages from the brain to the rest of the body and back. Like the command to wiggle your big toe: it starts in your brain, gets carried through the spinal cord until it reaches your toe muscles, and your toe wiggles.
View of injured spinal cord cells (neurons) with
stem cells (blue cells) being inserted.
If the spinal cord gets damaged, the signal doesn’t get through and people can lose sensation or the ability to move their limbs!
Biology of the spinal cord - Learn about the spinal cord tissue.
Synapses - How do neurons talk to each other? Learn about the synapse.
Injury - What happens when the spinal cord is injured.
Regenerative medicine for the spinal cord - How regenerative medicine is trying to help the spinal cord heal faster and better.