BRAIN STEM

by: Dr. Abbas Gareeb allah

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The brain stem is in front of the cerebellum and
below the cerebral hemispheres
  It connects the spinal cord to the cortex. 
Its role includes passing messages back and
forth between various parts of the body and the
cerebral cortex.
Contains cranial nerves nuclei last 10
Last4 in the medulla, next 4 in pons and next 2 in
midbrain
connected to the cerebellum by 3 cerebellar
peduncles
Consist of: 1-MIDBRAIN 2-PONS
3-MEDULLA-OBLONGATA
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Brain stem

(ventral)
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 Brainstem
 Medulla oblongata or medulla
 Regulates: Heart rate, blood vessel diameter,
respiration, swallowing, vomiting, hiccupping,
coughing, and sneezing
 Pyramids: motor fibres, decussate

 Pons
 Sleep
and respiratory center, relay between cerebellar
hemispheres and heat regulation
 Midbrain
 Integral
part of auditory and visual pathways in CNS,
centres for motor control (e.g. substantia nigra)
 Medulla oblongata

Most inferior portion, functions as

a conduction pathway
(descending motor neuron
pathways decussate here)
Reflex centers for:
regulating heart rate
blood vessel diameter
coughing, sneezing
breathing
swallowing
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1. Gracile fasciculus 2.
Cuneate fasciculus 3. Gracile
nucleus 4. Cuneate nucleus 5.
Spinal nucleus of trigeminal
nerve 6. Spinal tract of
trigeminal nerve 7. Central
canal 8. Dorsal
spinocerebellar tract 9.
Ventral spinocerebellar tract
10. Decussation of the
pyramids (motor) 11. Pyramidal
tract
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1. Dorsal median sulcus 2. Gracile
fasciculus 3. Gracile nucleus 4.
Cuneate fasciculus 5. Cuneate nucleus
6. Spinal tract of trigeminal nerve 7.
Dorsal spinocerebellar tract 8. Spinal
(inferior) nucleus of trigeminal nerve
9. Hypoglossal nucleus 10. Ventral
spinocerebellar tract 11. Internal
arcuate fibers 12. Decussation of
medial lemnisci 13. Medial accessory
olivary nucleus 14. Fibers of
hypoglossal nerve 15. Pyramidal tract
16. Ventral median fissure

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1. Hypoglossal nucleus 2. Dorsal vagal
nucleus 3. Medial vestibular nucleus 4.
Caudal (inferior) vestibular nucleus and
vestibulospinal tract 5. Solitary
nucleus of solitary tract 6. Solitary
tract 7. Spinal nucleus of trigeminal
nerve 8. Spinal tract of trigeminal
nerve 9. Inferior cerebellar peduncle
10. Medial longitudinal fasciculus with
tectospinal tract 11. Dorsal accessory
olivary nucleus 12. Fibers of
olivocerebellar tract 13. Inferior
olivary nucleus 14. Hilus of inferior
olivary nucleus 15. Medial lemniscus and
olivocerebellar fibers 16. Medial
accessory olivary nucleus 17. Pyramidal
tract
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A-Med.-2 vertebral Art.(Ant.S.A+Baslar)
B-Post.Inf.Cerbellar.A.

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