The spinal cordThe main nerve trunk running down the spinal canal and connecting the individual’s mind and consciousness to the rest of his or her body. It is about the size of a person’s little finger, in diameter. It cannot repair itself if damaged. is roughly cylindrical in shape, as it passes from the base of the brain, down along the spinal canalThe individual bones that comprise the spinal column are made up of a weight-bearing “body” and other components which, together, form a ring of bone, behind the body. These individual vertebrae, joined together as the spinal column, therefore, create a canal running down the entire length of the spine.. At its lower end it tapers into a roughly conical shape. This part of the spinal cordThe main nerve trunk running down the spinal canal and connecting the individual’s mind and consciousness to the rest of his or her body. It is about the size of a person’s little finger, in diameter. It cannot repair itself if damaged. is referred to as the conus. It contains nerve cells that supply important body functions such as bladder and bowel control, as well as sensation to the “private parts”.