Butterflies also act as a lower member of the food chain. They are a hearty meal for a number of animals, including birds and mice. As populations of butterfly diminish, so will populations of birds and other animals that rely on them as a food source.
The conus medullaris (Latin for medullary cone) is the tapered, lower end of the spinal cord.It occurs near lumbar vertebral levels 1 (L1) and 2 (L2), occasionally lower. The upper end of the conus medullaris is usually not well defined.After the spinal cord tapers out, the spinal nerves continue to branch out diagonally, forming the cauda equina.onus medullaris syndrome is a collection of signs and symptoms associated with injury to the conus medullaris. It typically causes back pain and bowel and bladder dysfunction but weakness and sensory loss is uncommon.
The spinal cord originates at the foramen magnum as a continuation of the medulla oblongata. The termination of the spinal cord is at the conus medullaris, which is normally at L1 in adults and L2 or L3 in children and infants (Figure 32.3).