The cell bodies of both alpha and gamma motor neurons are located in which region?

• A. Ventral horn
• B. Dorsal horn
• C. Lateral horn
• D. Cerebral cortex

Answer: (A)

Skeletal muscle motor neurons, including both the alpha neurons that stimulate extrafusal muscle fibers and the gamma neurons that adjust muscle spindle sensitivity, have their cell bodies in the ventral (anterior) part of the spinal cord’s gray matter. This ventral horn is where motor neurons reside, and their axons exit through the ventral roots to reach the muscles. The dorsal horn contains sensory processing centers, the lateral horn houses autonomic preganglionic neurons in many levels, and the cerebral cortex lies higher up in the nervous system for control but does not contain the cell bodies of spinal motor neurons. So the ventral horn is the correct location for both alpha and gamma motor neuron cell bodies.