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The somatic motor neurons (motoneurons)of the spinal cord are located in the anterior horn. Their axons form the anterior root and each fiber eventually synapses on a small set of muscle fibers. Lower (or spinal) motoneurons are considered the ‘final common pathway’ because they integrate signals from all the descending motor tracts[corticospinal, rubrospinal, vestibulospinal, tectospinal, & reticulospinal tracts] arising from the various Upper Motor Neurons in the cortex and brainstem.

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