Nervous system

(Cranial nerves and parts of brain)

 Cranial nerves

• The 12 pairs of cranial nerve supply muscles of eyeball, face, palate,

pharynx, larynx, and two large muscles of neck ,lungs, heart, and most
of the parts of gastrointestinal tract .
• Besides these they are afferent to special sense like smell, sight,
hearing, taste , touch.
 Brain stem
• The brain stem consists of medulla oblongata, the pons and midbrain.
• It connects the spinal cord to cerebrum.
• The various ascending and descending tracts pass through the three
components of the brain stem.
• Medulla oblongata contain the respiratory and vasomotor centres.
• Mid brain contains nuclei of oculomotor and trochlear nerves.
• Pons has the nuclei of trigeminal, abducent, facial and statoacoustic
nerves.
• Medulla contain the nuclei of last four cranial nerves.
 Medulla oblongata
• The medulla is the lowest part of brainstem.
• It extend from the lower border of pons to a plane just above the first
cervical nerve.
• And then it continuous with spinal cord.
Location
• It lies in the anterior part of posterior cranial fossa , and extending
down to the foramen magnum.
Relation
• Anterior – clivus and meninges
• Posterior – vallecula of the cerebellum
External features
• The medulla is divided by anterior and posterior median fissure into
right and left halves.
• Each half is further divided by anterolateral and posterolateral sulci
into anterior , lateral and posterior region.
Anterior region
• Anterior region is in the form of a longitudinal elevation called
pyramid
• Pyramid is made up of corticospinal fibres.
• In lower part of medulla many fibres of right and left pyramid cross in
the midline forming pyramidal decussation.
Lateral region
• Upper part shows an elevation known as olive .( oval in shape )
• It is produced due to underlying mass of grey matter called inferior
olivary nucleus .
• Rootlets of hypoglossal nerve emergency from anterolateral sulcus
present in between pyramid and olive .
• Rootlets of IX, X and cranial part of accessory nerve emergency
through the posterolateral fissure behind the olive .
Posterior region
• Lies between posterolateral sulcus and posterior median fissure .
• Upper part shows a V shape depression which is the lower part of the
floor of the fourth ventricle .
• Below the floor, 3 longitudinal elevation are present
• From medial to lateral
1. Fasciculus gracilis
2. Fasciculus cuneatus
3. Inferior cerebellar peduncle
• Upper ends of fasciculus gracilis and fasciculus cuneatus expand to
form gracile and cuneate tubercles.
The medulla is divided in two parts
• The lower closed part with central canal.
• The upper open part where central canal opens out to form the forth
ventricle .
 Pons
• The pons is the middle part of brainstem, connecting the mid brain
with the medulla.
External features – the pons has two surfaces
A) Ventral or Anterior surface
• The ventral surface is convex in both directions.
• Vertical basilar sulcus presents in the median plane and lodges basilar
artery .
• Laterally this surface is continuous with middle cerebellar peduncle.
• Trigeminal nerve is attached to this surface at the junction of pons
with peduncle
• VI , VII, VIII nerves are attached at lower border of ventral surface at
the junction of pons and medullary.
Dorsal surface
• Hidden by cerebellum.
• Forms upper half of floor of 4 th Ventricle .

Internal structure of pons

• In T.S. Pons is seen to be divisible into ventral and dorsal part .
Ventral or basilar part
• Continuous inferiorly with pyramids of medullary and on each side
with cerebellum through middle cerebellar peduncle
Dorsal or tegmental part
• It is direct upward continuous of medulla.

• Basilar part has uniform structure through out its length .

• Tegmental part’s structure differs in upper and lower part of pons .
 Mid brain
• The mid brain also called mesencephalon.
• It connects the hind brain with the forebrain.
• Its cavity is known as the cerebral aqueduct.
• It connects the third ventricle with fourth ventricle
Features
• In T.S. mid brain subdivided into-
Tectum and cerebral peduncle
Tectum
• Part posterior to aqueduct .
• Made up of right and left superior and inferior colliculus.
Cerebral peduncle
• Each half of mid brain anterior to aqueduct
• Each cerebral peduncle is subdivided into
1. Crus cerebri – anterior
2. Substantia nigra – middle
3. Tegmentum – posterior
• Middle and lateral geniculate bodies are situated on the posterolateral
aspect of mid brain
• Superior colliculus connected to lateral geniculate body by superior
brachium.
• Inferior colliculus connected to medial geniculate body by inferior
brachium .
• 3rd and 4th cranial nerve attached to mid brain .
 Cerebellum
• Largest part of hind brain .
• Situated in posterior cranial fossa behind the pons and medullary
oblongata.
Relation
• Anterior – 4th ventricle , pons, medulla.
• Posteroinferior – squamous occipital bone.
• Superior – tentorium cerebelli .
External features
• Cerebellum consist of 2 cerebellar hemisphere joined through a
median vermis .
• It has 2 surfaces superior and inferior surface
• Each hemisphere is divided into 3 lobes .
1. Anterior lobe
2. Middle / posterior (largest lobe)
3. Flocculonodular lobe (smallest lobe) – lies on inferior surface in
front of posterolateral fissure .
• Anterior and middle lobe are separated by fissure prima.
• Anterior lobe lies on anterior part of superior surface.
• Middle lobe situated on both surfaces .
• Middle lobe is limited in front by fissure prima (on superior surface )
and by posterolateral fissure (on inferior surface )
Parts of cerebellum
• Cerebellum is divided in numerous parts by fissure .
• Each fissure cuts vermis and both hemisphere .
1. Horizontal fissure – separates superior surface from inferior
surface.
2. Primary fissure or fissure prima – separates anterior lobe from
middle lobe on inferior surface .
3. Posterolateral fissure – separates middle lobe from flocculonodular
lobe on inferior surface .
Morphological and functional division of cerebellum
Archicerebellum
• Phylogenetically, oldest part of cerebellum .
• Made up of flocculonodular lobe and lingula (vermis)
• Control axial musculature and bilateral movement used for locomotion
and maintenance of equilibrium .
• Chiefly vestibular in its connection .
Paleo cerebellum
• Next part of cerebellum.
• Made up of anterior lobe (except lingula) and pyramid and uvula of
inferior vermis .
• Control tone , posture , and crude movement of limbs.
• Connection are chiefly spinocerebellar .
Neo Cerebellum
• Newest part of cerebellum to develop
• Made up of posterior /middle lobe (except pyramid and uvula of
inferior vermis )
• Primarily concerned with regulation of fine movements of body .
Functional division of cerebellum
• Anterior and posterior lobes are organised into 3 longitudinal zones
• Lateral , intermediate and vermis .
Lateral zone
• Connected with association area of brain.
• Involved in planning and programming muscular activities .
Intermediate zone
• Controls muscles of hands ,finger , feet , and toes.
Vermis
• Concerned with control of muscles of trunk neck shoulder and hip.
Flocculonodular lobe
Functions with vestibular system in controlling equilibrium .
Grey matter of cerebellum
• Consists of cerebellar cortex and cerebellar nuclei.
• There are 4 pairs of nuclei
1. Nucleus dentatus – neocerebellar
2. Nucleus globosus - paleocerebellar
3. Nucleus emboliformis – paleocerebellar
4. Nucleus fastigii – archicerebellar
Connection of cerebellum
• Fibres entering or leaving cerebellum are grouped to form 3 peduncles
which connect the cerebellum to mid brain , pons and medulla.
• Middle and inferior peduncles are chiefly afferent to cerebellum.
• Superior peduncle is chiefly efferent in nature .