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The pons (from Latin pons, "bridge") is part of the brainstem that in humans and other mammals, lies inferior to the midbrain, superior to the medulla oblongata and anterior to the cerebellum. The pons is also called the pons Varolii ("bridge of Varolius"), after the Italian anatomist and surgeon Costanzo Varolio (1543–75). [ 1 ]
The pontine tegmentum, or dorsal pons, is the dorsal part of the pons located within the brainstem. The ventral part or ventral pons is known as the basilar part of the pons, or basilar pons. Along with the dorsal surface of the medulla oblongata, it forms part of the rhomboid fossa – the floor of the fourth ventricle.
Pontocerebellar fibers are the sole efferent pathway of the pontine nuclei. The fibers mostly decussate within the pons to pass through the (contralateral) middle cerebellar peduncle to terminate in the contralateral cerebellum as mossy fibers; they form terminal synapses in the cerebellar cortex, but also issue collaterals to the cerebellar nuclei.
The pons houses the respiratory pneumotaxic center and apneustic center that make up the pontine respiratory group in the respiratory center. The pons co-ordinates activities of the cerebellar hemispheres. [10] The pons and medulla oblongata are parts of the hindbrain that form much of the brainstem.
The basilar part of pons, also known as basis pontis, or basilar pons, is the ventral part of the pons (ventral pons) in the brainstem; the dorsal part (dorsal pons) is known as the pontine tegmentum. The basilar part of the pons makes up two thirds of the pons. [1] It has a ridged appearance with a shallow groove at the midline.
The respiratory center is made up of three major respiratory groups of neurons, two in the medulla and one in the pons. In the medulla they are the dorsal respiratory group, and the ventral respiratory group. In the pons, the pontine respiratory group includes two areas known as the pneumotaxic center and the apneustic center.
Nuclei in the pons include pontine nuclei which work with the cerebellum and transmit information between the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex. [9] In the dorsal posterior pons lie nuclei that are involved in the functions of breathing, sleep, and taste. [9] The midbrain, or mesencephalon, is situated above and rostral to the pons.
In neuroanatomy, the pontine micturition center (PMC, also known as Barrington's nucleus) is a collection of neuronal cell bodies located in the rostral pons in the brainstem involved in the supraspinal regulation of micturition (urination). When activated, the PMC relaxes the urethral sphincter, allowing for micturition to occur.