The ventral horn innervates which tissue?

The ventral horn innervates which tissue?

• A. Glands
• B. Cardiac muscle
• C. Skeletal muscles
• D. Smooth muscles

Answer: (C)

The ventral horn houses the cell bodies of somatic motor neurons, which are the nerve cells that control skeletal muscles. Their axons exit the spinal cord through the ventral root and travel to skeletal muscles at the neuromuscular junction, enabling voluntary movement. In contrast, glands and the smooth/cardiac muscle components are governed by autonomic neurons located in other regions (such as autonomic ganglia or specific autonomic spinal cord areas), not by the ventral horn. So the tissue that the ventral horn innervates directly is skeletal muscle.

The ventral horn houses the cell bodies of somatic motor neurons, which are the nerve cells that control skeletal muscles. Their axons exit the spinal cord through the ventral root and travel to skeletal muscles at the neuromuscular junction, enabling voluntary movement. In contrast, glands and the smooth/cardiac muscle components are governed by autonomic neurons located in other regions (such as autonomic ganglia or specific autonomic spinal cord areas), not by the ventral horn. So the tissue that the ventral horn innervates directly is skeletal muscle.