Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
General somatic efferent
Introduction
Template:Infobox Anatomy The somatic efferent neurons (GSE, ‘somatomotor, or somatic motor fibers), arise from motor neuron cell bodies in the ventral horns of the gray matter within the spinal cord. They exit the spinal cord through the ventral roots, carrying motor impulses to skeletal muscle.
Of the somatic efferent neurons, there exist subtypes.
- Alpha motor neurons (α) target extrafusal muscle fibers.
- Gamma motor neurons (γ) target intrafusal muscle fibres.
Examples of nerves that contain GSE fibers include the oculomotor nerve, the trochlear nerve, the abducens nerve, and the hypoglossal nerve. [1]
References
References
- ↑ Mehta, Samir et al. Step-Up: A High-Yield, Systems-Based Review for the USMLE Step 1. Baltimore, MD: LWW, 2003.