HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THE SPINAL CORD

You only need to be concerned with identifying cervical,
thoracic and lumbar from each other. 

 
This can be done using the following rules:

 
1.  The greatest amount of grey matter (cells) is largest in the
spinal segments of the cervical and lumbosacral enlargements;
such large structures require a massive innervation.
The thoracic and upper lumbar levels have relatively small amounts
of grey matter since they innervate the thoracic and abdominal regions.
2. The absolute number of nerve fibers in the white
matter increases at each successive higher spinal segment.
3. The lateral horn is present from T1-L2.
4. Fasciculi cuneatus and gracilis are BOTH present above T7.
5. When comparing the cervical and lumbosacral enlargements,
the dorsal horn at cervical levels is narrower than that in lumbars;
the ventral horn is broad in both.