Bassett Collection of Stereoscopic Images of Human Anatomy

Collection Home

Exploration of the meninges and brain in situ

Posterior cranial fossa, basilar and vertebral arteries, petrosal sinuses and basilar plexus of veins

Image #4-3

KEYWORDS: Brain, Pons, Vasculature.

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.

Exploration of the meninges and brain in situ

Posterior cranial fossa, basilar and vertebral arteries, petrosal sinuses and basilar plexus of veins

The left half of the brain stem has been removed and the basilar part of the pons cut away on the right to reveal the course of the basilar artery (19). The inferior petrosal sinus and basilar plexus have not been opened but their positions under the dura are identified by the blue color of the latex with which they are filled.

1 .	Posterior cerebral artery left (cut across)
2 .	Falx cerebri (upper pointer) and olfactory tract
3 .	Optic nerve (II)
4 .	Internal carotid artery left (cut across)
5 .	Oculomotor nerve (III) within cavernous sinus
6 .	Trochlear nerve (IV) within cavernous sinus
7 .	Ophthalmic nerve (VI) within cavernous sinus
8 .	Cavernous sinus
9 .	Semilunar ganglion (trigeminal) and trigeminal nerve (V)
10 .	Middle cranial fossa (dura removed)
11 .	Facial nerve (VII) and Vestibulocochlear (VIII) entering internal acoustic meatus
12 .	Superior petrosal sinus (opened)
13 .	Transverse sinus
14 .	Position of sigmoid portion of transverse sinus (unopened)
15 .	Posterior cranial fossa
16 .	Cerebral aqueduct
17 .	Arteries within interpeduncular fossa
18 .	Superior cerebellar arteries
19 .	Basilar artery
20 .	Straight sinus
21 .	Cerebellar lingula
22 .	Basilar part of pons (cut away)
23 .	Basilar plexus (upper pointer) and abducens nerve (VI)
24 .	Internal auditory artery
25 .	Anterior inferior cerebellar artery
26 .	Choroid plexus fourth ventricle
27 .	Vertebral artery right
28 .	Vagus nerve (X) and inferior petrosal sinus (upper pointer indicates position of this sinus beneath the dura)
29 .	Roots hypoglossal nerve (XII)
30 .	Medulla oblongata (cut across to midline)