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Pretectum

 

 
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Pretectum
 
 
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The pretectum, also known as the pretectal area, is a region of neuron
Neuron

Neurons are responsive cell in the nervous system that process and transmit information by electrochemical Signal . They are the core components of the brain, the vertebrate spinal cord, the invertebrate ventral nerve cord, and the peripheral nerves....
s found between the thalamus
Thalamus

The thalamus is a pair and symmetric part of the brain. It constitutes the main part of the diencephalon....
 and midbrain. It receives binocular
Binocular vision

Binocular vision is Visual perception in which both eyes are used together. The word binocular comes from two Latin roots, bini for double, and oculus for eye....
 sensory
Sensory system

A sensory system is a part of the nervous system responsible for processing sense information. A sensory system consists of sensory receptors, neural pathways, and parts of the brain involved in sensory perception....
 input from retinal ganglion cells
Ganglion cell

A retinal ganglion cell is a type of neuron located near the inner surface of the retina of the eye. It receives visual information from photoreceptor cells via two intermediate neuron types: Bipolar cell of the retinas and amacrine cells....
 of the eye
Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
s, and is the region responsible for maintaining the pupillary light reflex.








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The pretectum, also known as the pretectal area, is a region of neuron
Neuron

Neurons are responsive cell in the nervous system that process and transmit information by electrochemical Signal . They are the core components of the brain, the vertebrate spinal cord, the invertebrate ventral nerve cord, and the peripheral nerves....
s found between the thalamus
Thalamus

The thalamus is a pair and symmetric part of the brain. It constitutes the main part of the diencephalon....
 and midbrain. It receives binocular
Binocular vision

Binocular vision is Visual perception in which both eyes are used together. The word binocular comes from two Latin roots, bini for double, and oculus for eye....
 sensory
Sensory system

A sensory system is a part of the nervous system responsible for processing sense information. A sensory system consists of sensory receptors, neural pathways, and parts of the brain involved in sensory perception....
 input from retinal ganglion cells
Ganglion cell

A retinal ganglion cell is a type of neuron located near the inner surface of the retina of the eye. It receives visual information from photoreceptor cells via two intermediate neuron types: Bipolar cell of the retinas and amacrine cells....
 of the eye
Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
s, and is the region responsible for maintaining the pupillary light reflex.

Outputs

The pretectum, after receiving binocular input, outputs to the Edinger-Westphal nucleus
Edinger-Westphal nucleus

The Edinger-Westphal nucleus is the accessory parasympathetic nervous system cranial nerve nucleus of the oculomotor nerve , supplying the constricting muscles of the Iris ....
 in the midbrain,
  • to the Cilio-spinal nucleus (Budge), which is located in the VIII cervical and I, II thoracic vertebral segments,
  • and to the nucleus of the posterior commissure
    Posterior commissure

    The posterior commissure is a rounded band of white fibers crossing the middle line on the dorsal aspect of the upper end of the cerebral aqueduct....
    .


The Edinger-Westphal nucleus and Budge's Cilio-Spinal Nucleus project onto the ciliary ganglion
Ciliary ganglion

The ciliary ganglion is a Parasympathetic nervous system ganglion located in the posterior Orbit . It measures 1?2 millimeters in diameter and contains approximately 2,500 neurons....
, whose output controls pupillary diameter (mydriasis
Mydriasis

Mydriasis is an excessive dilation of the pupil due to disease, Physical trauma, or the use of drugs. Normally, the pupil dilates in the dark and constriction in the light to improve vividity at night and to protect the retina from sunlight damage during the day....
 or myosis).

The Edinger-Westphal nucleus controls the Pupillary sphincter muscle (used in situations of bright light to reduce the exposure of the retina) and the Ciliary muscle
Ciliary muscle

The ciliary muscle is a muscle in the eye that controls the eye's accommodation for viewing objects at varying distances....
 (used for eye focusing and accommodation
Accommodation (eye)

Accommodation is the process by which the :eye increases optical power to maintain a clear image on an object as it draws near the eye. The young human eye can change focus from distance to 7 cm from the eye in 350 milliseconds....
).

The Cilio-Spinal Nucleus controls the Pupillary dilator muscle (used in situations of dark light, to increase the exposure of the retina)

See also

  • Oculomotor nerve
    Oculomotor nerve

    The oculomotor nerve is the third of twelve paired cranial nerves. It controls most of the eye's movements, constriction of the pupil, and maintains an open eyelid....
  • Mesencephalon
    Mesencephalon

    In biological anatomy, the mesencephalon comprises the tectum , tegmentum, the ventricular mesocoelia , and the cerebral peduncles, as well as several nuclei and fasciculi....
  • List of regions in the human brain
    List of regions in the human brain

    anatomy regions of the brain are listed vertically, following hierarchies that are standard in neuroanatomy. Physiology, nervous system#vertebrate nervous systems and Embryology regions are listed horizontally in parentheses where appropriate....


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