STRUCTURES PRESENT AT THE LEVEL OF BRAINSTEM
Origin of Cranial Nerves
a. Glossopharyngeal
Nerve (CN IX)
b. Vagus Nerve (CN X)
c. Accessory Nerve (CN
XI)
d. Hypoglossal Nerve
(CN XII)
Origin of Cranial Nerves
a. Trigeminal Nerve (CN
V)
b. Abducent Nerve (CN
VI)
c. Facial Nerve (CN VII)
d. Vestibulo-cochleal
Nerve (CN VIII)
Medulla Oblongata
Nuclei of Cranial Nerves
Other Nuclei
a. Hypoglossal Nucleus
a. Nucleus
(CN XII)
Gracilis
b. Dorsal Nucleus of Vagus
b. Nucleus
(CN X)
Cuneatus
c. Nucleus Ambiguus (CN
c. Inferior
IX, X, XI)
Olivary
d. Nucleus of Tractus
Nucleus
Solitarius (CN VII, IX, X)
e. Inferior Vestibular
Nucleus (CN VIII)
f. Cochlear Nuclei (CN
VIII)
g. Spinal Nucleus of
Trigeminal Nerve (CN V)
Pons
Nuclei of Cranial Nerves
Other Nuclei
a. Superior, Medial and
a. Pontine
Lateral Vestibular
Nuclei
Nuclei (CN VIII)
b. Trapezoid
b. Motor Nucleus of Facial
Nuclei
Nerve (CN VII)
c. Sensory Nucleus of
Facial Nerve (CN VII)
d. Superior Salivatory
Nucleus (CN VII)
e. Inferior Salivatory
(Lacrimal) Nucleus (CN
VII)
Sensory Tracts
a. Spinal
Lemniscus
b. Medial
Lemniscus
c. Trigeminal
Lemniscus
d. Anterior
Spinocerebellar
Tract
e. Posterior
Spinocerebellar
Tract
Motor Tracts
a. Corticospinal
Tract
b. Rubrospinal
Tract
c. Vestibulospinal
Tract
d. Tectospinal Tract
e. Medial
Longitudinal
Fasciculus
Sensory Tracts
a. Spinal
Lemniscus
b. Medial
Lemniscus
c. Trigeminal
Lemniscus
d. Anterior
Spinocerebellar
Tract
e. Lateral
Lemniscus
Motor Tracts
a. Corticospinal
Tract
b. Rubrospinal
Tract
c. Tectospinal Tract
d. Medial
Longitudinal
Fasciculus
e. Transverse
Pontine Fibers
f.
Abducent Nucleus (CN
VI)
g. Motor Nucleus of
Trigeminal Nerve (CN V)
h. Sensory Nucleus of
Trigeminal Nerve (CN V)
Origin of Cranial Nerves
a. Oculomotor Nerve
(CN III)
b. Trochlear Nerve (CN
IV)
Nuclei of Cranial Nerves
a. Mesencephalic Nucleus
of Trigeminal Nerve (CN
V)
b. Trochlear Nucleus (CN
IV)
c. Oculomotor Nucleus
(CN III)
d. Edinger-Westphal
Nucleus (CN III)
Midbrain
Other Nuclei
a. Superior
Colliculi
b. Inferior
Colliculi
c. Pretectal
Nuclei
d. Red Nucleus
e. Substantia
Nigra
Sensory Tracts
a. Spinal
Lemniscus
b. Medial
Lemniscus
c. Trigeminal
Lemniscus
d. Anterior
Spinocerebellar
Tract
e. Lateral
Lemniscus
Motor Tracts
a. Corticospinal
Tract
b. Rubrospinal
Tract
c. Tectospinal Tract
d. Medial
Longitudinal
Fasciculus
e. Frontopontine,
Temporopontine,
Parietopontine
and
Occipitopontine
Fibers
Important Points:


Nucleus Ambiguus – Supplies muscles of soft palate, pharynx and larynx through nerve fibers of 9th, 10th and cranial part of 11th cranial
nerves.
Nucleus of Tractus Solitarius – Associated with taste, baroreceptor and chemoreceptor reflexes, cough reflex, gag reflex.