Dorsal root (source code)

= Dorsal root

A <dorsal root> is the bundle of sensory <axons> entering the posterior side of the <spinal cord> at a spinal level. The associated <dorsal root ganglion> contains the <soma> of many of these <sensory neurons>. Their peripheral processes receive information from the body, while their central processes enter through the <dorsal root>.<Anatomy and Physiology 2e by J. Gordon Betts and others>[Section 13.4, Ganglia and Spinal Nerves]{ref}

The <dorsal root> joins the <ventral root> to form a mixed <spinal nerve>. This organization separates sensory entry from motor exit close to the <spinal cord> while allowing both directions to share a peripheral route. The <dorsal root ganglion> houses cell bodies; it is not normally a chain of sensory-to-sensory <synapses>.