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The pons lies between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata. It is separated from the midbrain by the superior pontine sulcus, and from the medulla by the inferior pontine sulcus. [9] It contains tracts that carry signals from the cerebrum to the medulla and to the cerebellum and also tracts that carry sensory signals to the thalamus.
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.
Neuroanatomists usually divide the vertebrate brain into six main subregions: the telencephalon (the cerebral hemispheres), diencephalon (thalamus and hypothalamus), mesencephalon (midbrain), cerebellum, pons and medulla oblongata, with the midbrain, pons and medulla often collectively called the brainstem. Each of these areas has a complex ...
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 midbrain or mesencephalon is the uppermost portion of the brainstem connecting the diencephalon and cerebrum with the pons. [2] It consists of the cerebral peduncles , tegmentum , and tectum . It is functionally associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep and wakefulness, arousal ( alertness ), and temperature regulation.
The brainstem includes the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata. Behind the brainstem is the cerebellum (Latin: little brain). [7] The cerebrum, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord are covered by three membranes called meninges. The membranes are the tough dura mater; the middle arachnoid mater and the more delicate inner pia mater.
The tectospinal tract originates in the superior colliculus and tectum of the mesencephalon (midbrain). It projects to the cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord to mediate reflex turning of the head and trunk in the direction of startling sensations. In the medulla oblongata, it descends within the MLF.
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.