cranial nerve nuclei in the medulla and pons

somatic motor nuceli

located at the midline

somatic sensory nuclei

located laterally

visceral motor and visceral sensory nuceli

located in between somatic motor and somatic sensory nuceli

cranial nerves 3,4,6,12

somatic motor nuceli

cranial nerves 5,7,9,10

branchial motor nuceli

cranial nerves 3,7,9,10

visceral motor nuceli

cranial nerves 7,9,10

visceral sensory nuceli

cranial nerves 5,7,8,9,10

general/special sensory nuceli

tegmentum

area on the dorsal surface of the medulla where cranial nerve nuceli are located

dorsal rostral medulla

fourth ventricle is evident in its cross-section; begin to see the first cranial nerve nuceli at this location

hypoglossal nucleus

dorsal visceral motor vagal nucleus

nucelus ambiguus

nuceli seen on dorsal rostral medulla: 

hypoglossol nucleus

nucleus of origin for axons of cranial nerve 12 (somatic motor)

dorsal visceral motor vagal nucelus

contain pre-ganglionic parasympathetic neurons that give rise to axons in cranial nerve 10 that innervate smooth muscle (visceral motor)

nucleus ambiguus

contain neurons that contain axons that innervate larynx and one pharynx muscle (cranial nerves 9 and 10 - branchial motor)

tract

collection of afferent/sensory axons that surround the nucleus in which they terminate

nucleus and tract solitarius

primary visceral sensory nucleus of the brainstem

• cranial nerves 7,9,10

rostral portion of nucelus/tract solitarius

receives taste information from cranial nerves 7 (anterior), 9 (posterior) and 10 (epiglottis)

caudal portion of nucleus/tract solitarius

receives visceral information from GI tract (cranial nerve 10)

vestibular nuclei

cochlear nuceli

associated with cranial nerve 8; special sensory nuceli of brainstem

rostral medulla

hypoglossal nucleus

dorsal visceral motor vagal nucelus

nucleus solitarius

vestibular nucelus

nucleus and tract of V

rostral medulla cross section cranial nerve nuclei

cochlear nucleus

pontomeduallary junction cross section cranial nerve nucelus 

basilar pons

characterized by transverse oriented bands that coalesce to form middle cerebellar peduncles

pontocerebellar axons

axons that transverse the basilar pons to form the middle cerebellar peduncle

pontine nucleus 

collection of neurons in basilar pon; neurons here give rise to pontocerebellar axons 

caudal pons

abudecens nucleus

cranial nerve 6; somatic motor - neurons here given rise to axons that leave the brain and innervate lateral rectus of the eye

facial nucleus

cranial nerve 7; branchial motor - neurons in this nucleus innervate muscles that control facial movements

dorsally 

medially

internal genu

laterally

ventrally 

pathway of facial nucleus

axons leave the nucleus and course BLANK and BLANK toward abducens nucleus, on reaching the dorsal surface of pons, they curve around abducens nerves and form the BLANK BLANK, then they go back BLANK and BLANK to exit the lateral side of the brainstem 

abducens nucleus

facial nucleus

nucleus solitarius

vestibular nucelus

spinal and tract of V

cranial nerve nuceli seen in the cross-section of dorsal caudal pons

trigeminal nucleus

cranial nerve 5; general/somatic sensory conveying information on touch, pain, propioception from the face

• composed of three nuceli

main sensory nucleus

spinal nucleus

mesencephalic nucleus

three nuceli that make up the trigeminal nucleus

main sensory nucleus

touch and pressure from all three divisons of CN 5

spinal nucleus

pain and temperature from all divisions of CN 5

mesencephalic nucleus

proprioceptioin from muscles of mastication and mechanoreceptors in teeth and jaw

motor V

cranial nerve 5; branchial motor - nucleus that gives rise to axons that innervate muscles of mastication 

motor nucleus of V

main sensory nucleus of V

mesencephalic nucleus of V

dorsal mid-pons cross-section structures

trigeminal nerve

main sensory nucleus

motor trigeminal nucleus 

the axons of the BLANK BLANK separate the BLANK BLANK BLANK from the BLANK BLANK BLANK 

basilar pons

cerebral peduncles

troclear nucleus

cerebral aqueduct

periaqueductal gray

inferior colliculus

caudal midbrain cross section structures

troclear nucleus

CN#4; somatic motor - axons leaving this nucleus course dorsally where they cross on the midline, axons innervate the superior oblique muscle in the orbit

periaqueductal gray

contains neurons that give rise to descending pain-control pathway

cerebral peduncle

substantia nigra

oculomotor nucleus

periaqueductal gray

cerebral aqueduct

superior colliculus

middle midbrain cross-section features

oculomotor nucleus

CN3; somatic motor - neurons here give rise to axons in oculomotor nerve that innervate eye muscles