Meaning & use

dorsal horn

noun·Advanced

A region of gray matter in the spinal cord that receives and processes sensory signals, including pain, from the body.

See it in a sentence

Pain signals from the injured hand travel first to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

Researchers study the dorsal horn to better understand how chronic pain develops.

A note on using this word

The dorsal horn is located toward the back of the spinal cord, opposite the ventral horn, which controls motor signals.

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