Bassett Collection of Stereoscopic Images of Human Anatomy

Serial transverse sections of the brain stem

Medulla oblongata.

Image #29-3

KEYWORDS: Brain, Medulla, Pons.

Larger View

Creative Commons

These images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Higher resolution images are available for a fee. Contact Drew Bourn, PhD, MLIS.

Serial transverse sections of the brain stem

Medulla oblongata.

The nucleus gracilis (11) and nucleus cuneatus (2) are of large size at this level, 3.5 mm. above the last section. Internal arcuate fibers from these nuclei pass through the reticular formation (3) to cross the midline and enter the opposite medial lemniscus (14). Only a faint indication of these arcuate fibers is visible in the view due to technical limitations of the method in areas of mixed fibers and cells.

1 .	Tonsil (ventral paraflocculus)
2 .	Cuneate nucleus
3 .	Internal arcuate fibers passing through reticular gray matter
4 .	Pyramid (medulla oblongata)
5 .	Glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) and vagus (X) (detached slightly from brain stem)
6 .	Flocculus
7 .	Quadrangular lobule
8 .	Fusiform gyrus
9 .	Uncus (hippocampal gyrus)
10 .	Vallecula cerebelli
11 .	Gracile nucleus and central gray matter
12 .	Spinal trigeminal nucleus
13 .	Dorsal spinocerebellar tract
14 .	Medial lemniscus
15 .	Olive
16 .	Hypoglossal nerve (XII)
17 .	Choroid plexus fourth ventricle (protruding from lateral recess)
18 .	Vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)
19 .	Facial nerve (VII)
20 .	Trigeminal nerve (V)
21 .	Pons
22 .	Infundibular recess third ventricle