The Brain Stem

Reza Akbar Bastian

 The brain stem includes midbrain,

medulla and pons, located ventral to
the cerebellum
Housing essential ascending and
descending tracts, the brain stem
contains nuclei that are essential for
maintenance of life

DEVELOPMENT OF THE BRAIN STEM AND CRANIAL NERVES

ORGANIZATION OF THE BRAIN STEM

Main Divisions and External Landmarks

Internal Structural Components

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.

Descending and Ascending Tracts

Cranial Nerve Nuclei
Cerebelar Peduncle
Descending Autonomic Pathways
Reticular Formation
Monoaminergic Pathways

CRANIAL NERVE NUCLEI IN THE BRAIN STEM

Cranial Nerve Nuclei in The Brain

Stem
Motor components
General Somatic Efferent
Innervate striated muscle that are derived from somite
Involved with movements of tongue and eye

Special Visceral Efferent

Innervate muscles that are derived from brachial arches
Involved in chewing, facial expressions, swallowing, producing vocal
sound, and turning the head

General Visceral Efferent

Provide autonommic innervation of smooth muscles and the gland in
the head, neck, and torso

 Sensory components
General somatic afferent
Receive and relay sensory stimuli from the skin and mucosa of most of the
head

General visceral afferent

Relay sensory stimuli from the viscera and more specialized taste
stimuli from tongue and epiglotis

Special somatic afferent

Sensory information about vision, balance, or hearing

Special visceral afferent

Sensory information about taste

Medulla Oblongata
Be divided into a caudal and
a rostral portion.
The division is based on the
absence or presence of the
lower fourth ventricle.

Pons

The base of the pons (basis

pontis) contains three
components:
Fiber bundles of the corticospinal
tracts
Pontine nuclei that have received
input from the cerebral cortex by
way of the corticopontine
pathway
Pontocerebellar fibers from the
pontine nuclei

Midbrain

Basis
Tegmentum
Tectum
Periaqueductal Gray
Matter
Superior Cerebellar
Peduncle

Midbrain

VASCULARIZATION