All Topics  
Pons

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Pons
 
 
  Topics Pons Topic Home

The pons (sometimes pons Varolii after Costanzo Varolio
Costanzo Varolio

Costanzo Varolio, latinized as Constantius Varolius, was an Italian anatomist and a papal physician to Gregory XIII. He was a pupil to the anatomist Giulio Cesare Aranzio, himself a pupil of Vesalius....
) is a structure located on the brain stem
Brain stem

The brain stem is the lower part of the brain, adjoining and structurally continuous with the spinal cord. The brain stem provides the main motor and sensory innervation to the face and neck via the cranial nerves....
. It is cranial
Cranial

Cranial may refer to:* cranium* Anatomical terms of location* Cranial Osteopathy...
 to the medulla oblongata
Medulla oblongata

The medulla oblongata is the lower portion of the brainstem. It deals with Autonomic nervous system functions, such as breathing and blood pressure....
, caudal to the midbrain, and ventral to the cerebellum
Cerebellum

The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in the integration of perception, coordination and motoneuron control. In order to coordinate motor control, there are many neural pathways linking the cerebellum with the cerebrum motor cortex and the spinocerebellar tract ....
. In human
Human

A human being, also human or man, is a member of a species of bipedalism primates in the family Hominidae . Mitochondrial DNA evidence indicates that modern humans originated in east Africa about 200,000 years ago....
s and other biped
Biped

Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism Motion by means of its two rear limbs, or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning "two feet" ....
s this means it is above the medulla, below the midbrain, and anterior to the cerebellum.

pons relay
Relay

A relay is an electrical switch that opens and closes under the control of another electrical circuit. In the original form, the switch is operated by an magnet to open or close one or many sets of contacts....
s sensory
Sense

Senses are the physiological methods of perception. The senses and their operation, classification, and theory are overlapping topics studied by a variety of fields, most notably neuroscience, cognitive psychology , and philosophy of perception....
 information
Information

Information as a Conveyed concept has a diversity of meanings, from everyday usage to technical settings. Generally speaking, the concept of information is closely related to notions of constraint, communication, control system, data, form, instruction, knowledge, Meaning , stimulation, pattern, perception, and knowledge representation....
 between the cerebellum
Cerebellum

The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in the integration of perception, coordination and motoneuron control. In order to coordinate motor control, there are many neural pathways linking the cerebellum with the cerebrum motor cortex and the spinocerebellar tract ....
 and cerebrum
Telencephalon

The cerebrum or telencephalon, together with the diencephalon, constitute the forebrain. It is the most anterior or, especially in humans, most superior region of the vertebrate central nervous system....
; aids in relaying other messages in the brain; controls arousal, and regulates respiration (see respiratory centres).






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Pons'
Start a new discussion about 'Pons'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The pons (sometimes pons Varolii after Costanzo Varolio
Costanzo Varolio

Costanzo Varolio, latinized as Constantius Varolius, was an Italian anatomist and a papal physician to Gregory XIII. He was a pupil to the anatomist Giulio Cesare Aranzio, himself a pupil of Vesalius....
) is a structure located on the brain stem
Brain stem

The brain stem is the lower part of the brain, adjoining and structurally continuous with the spinal cord. The brain stem provides the main motor and sensory innervation to the face and neck via the cranial nerves....
. It is cranial
Cranial

Cranial may refer to:* cranium* Anatomical terms of location* Cranial Osteopathy...
 to the medulla oblongata
Medulla oblongata

The medulla oblongata is the lower portion of the brainstem. It deals with Autonomic nervous system functions, such as breathing and blood pressure....
, caudal to the midbrain, and ventral to the cerebellum
Cerebellum

The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in the integration of perception, coordination and motoneuron control. In order to coordinate motor control, there are many neural pathways linking the cerebellum with the cerebrum motor cortex and the spinocerebellar tract ....
. In human
Human

A human being, also human or man, is a member of a species of bipedalism primates in the family Hominidae . Mitochondrial DNA evidence indicates that modern humans originated in east Africa about 200,000 years ago....
s and other biped
Biped

Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism Motion by means of its two rear limbs, or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning "two feet" ....
s this means it is above the medulla, below the midbrain, and anterior to the cerebellum.

Function

The pons relay
Relay

A relay is an electrical switch that opens and closes under the control of another electrical circuit. In the original form, the switch is operated by an magnet to open or close one or many sets of contacts....
s sensory
Sense

Senses are the physiological methods of perception. The senses and their operation, classification, and theory are overlapping topics studied by a variety of fields, most notably neuroscience, cognitive psychology , and philosophy of perception....
 information
Information

Information as a Conveyed concept has a diversity of meanings, from everyday usage to technical settings. Generally speaking, the concept of information is closely related to notions of constraint, communication, control system, data, form, instruction, knowledge, Meaning , stimulation, pattern, perception, and knowledge representation....
 between the cerebellum
Cerebellum

The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in the integration of perception, coordination and motoneuron control. In order to coordinate motor control, there are many neural pathways linking the cerebellum with the cerebrum motor cortex and the spinocerebellar tract ....
 and cerebrum
Telencephalon

The cerebrum or telencephalon, together with the diencephalon, constitute the forebrain. It is the most anterior or, especially in humans, most superior region of the vertebrate central nervous system....
; aids in relaying other messages in the brain; controls arousal, and regulates respiration (see respiratory centres). In some theories, the pons has a role in dream
Dream

Dreams are sequence s, sounds and feelings experienced while sleeping, strongly associated with rapid eye movement sleep. The contents and biological purposes of dreams are not fully understood, though they have been a topic of speculation and interest throughout recorded history....
ing.

Anatomy of the pons

The "knob-like" process (Basal pons) is 2 centimeters long and located on the anterior (front) of the brainstem. It is formed of nerves that travel from one side (left or right) to the other. Most other fibres in the brainstem travel up and down.

The posterior (back) surface of the pons forms part of the wall of the fourth ventricle
Fourth ventricle

The fourth ventricle is one of the four connected fluid-filled cavities within the human brain. These cavities, known collectively as the ventricular system, consist of the left and right lateral ventricles, the third ventricle, and the fourth ventricle....
 of the brain.

Most blood to the pons is supplied by pontine arteries
Pontine arteries

The pontine arteries are a number of small vessels which come off at right angles from either side of the basilar artery and supply the pons and adjacent parts of the brain....
. These are small arteries that branch off the basilar artery
Basilar artery

In human anatomy, the basilar artery is one of the artery that supplies the brain with oxygen-rich blood.The two vertebral arteries and the basilar artery are sometimes together called the vertebrobasilar system, which supplies blood to the posterior part of circle of Willis and anastomoses with blood supplied to the anterior part of...
 of the Circle of Willis
Circle of Willis

The Circle of Willis is a circle of artery that supply blood to the brain. It is named after Thomas Willis , an England physician....
. Blood also comes from the anterior inferior, and superior cerebellar arteries.

There are two main domains in the pons for control of respiration
Control of respiration

Control of ventilation refers to the physiology mechanisms involved in the control of ventilation . Gas exchange primarily controls the rate of respiration....
:
  • the apneustic center
    Apneustic center

    The apneustic center of the lower pons appears to promote Inhalation by stimulation of the I neurons in the medulla oblongata providing a constant stimulus....
     - lower pons
  • the pneumotaxic center
    Pneumotaxic center

    The pneumotaxic center, also known as the pontine respiratory group , is a network of neurons in the rostral dorsal lateral pons. It consists of the K?lliker-Fuse nucleus and the medial parabrachial nucleus....
     - upper pons


Cranial nerve nuclei

A number of cranial nerve nuclei are present in the pons:
  • mid-pons: The chief or pontine nucleus of the trigeminal nerve
    Trigeminal nerve

    The trigeminal nerve is responsible for sensation in the face. Sensory information from the face and body is processed by parallel pathways in the central nervous system....
     sensory nucleus (V)
  • mid-pons: the motor nucleus for the trigeminal nerve (V)
  • lower down in the pons: abducens nucleus
    Abducens nucleus

    The abducens nucleus is the originating nucleus from which the abducens nerve emerges - a cranial nerve nucleus. This nucleus is located beneath the fourth ventricle in the Anatomical terms of location portion of the pons, Anatomical terms of location to the sulcus limitans....
     (VI)
  • lower down in the pons: facial nerve nucleus (VII)
  • lower down in the pons: vestibulocochlear
    Vestibulocochlear nerve

    The vestibulocochlear nerve is the eighth of twelve cranial nerves, and is responsible for transmitting sound and equilibrium information from the inner ear to the brain....
     nuclei (vestibular nuclei
    Vestibular nuclei

    The vestibular nuclei are the cranial nuclei for the vestibular nerve....
     and cochlear nuclei
    Cochlear nuclei

    The cochlear nuclei consist of:* the dorsal cochlear nucleus, corresponding to the tuberculum acusticum on the dorso-lateral surface of the inferior peduncle; and...
    ) (VIII)


Related diseases

  • Central pontine myelinosis
    Central pontine myelinosis

    Central pontine myelinolysis or osmotic demyelination syndrome is a demyelination in the brain that occurs with rapid correction of hyponatremia ....
    , a demyelination disease that causes difficulty with sense of balance, walking, sense of touch, swallowing and speaking to mention just a few symptoms. In a clinical setting it is often associated with transplant. Undiagnosed it can lead to death or 'locked in' syndrome.


Additional images


External links