AEMCA Practice Exam

Where do sensory information enter the spinal cord?

1. Anterolateral horn

2. Dorsal horn

3. Lateral horn

4. Anterior horn

The correct answer is: Dorsal horn

Sensory information enters the spinal cord through the dorsal horn. This region is responsible for processing incoming sensory signals from various body parts. Sensory neurons, which carry information about touch, pain, temperature, and proprioception, have their cell bodies located in the dorsal root ganglia. When sensory fibers enter the spinal cord, they synapse with interneurons or projection neurons within the dorsal horn, facilitating the transmission of sensory information to higher brain centers for further processing. The other options pertain to different functions or locations within the spinal cord. The anterolateral horn primarily deals with pain and temperature sensation, while the lateral horn is associated with the autonomic nervous system and its functions such as sympathetic innervation. The anterior horn contains motor neurons, which are responsible for sending signals to muscles for movement. Thus, the dorsal horn is the correct choice as it specifically serves as the entry point for sensory information.