Oculomotor nucleus
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| Brain: Oculomotor nucleus | ||
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| Section through superior colliculus showing path of oculomotor nerve. | ||
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| The cranial nerve nuclei schematically represented; dorsal view. Motor nuclei in red; sensory in blue. (Oculomotor is "III") | ||
| Latin | nucleus nervi oculomotorii | |
| Gray's | subject #188 807 | |
| NeuroNames | hier-483 | |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | n_11/12581984 | |
The fibers of the oculomotor nerve arise from a nucleus in the midbrain, which lies in the gray substance of the floor of the cerebral aqueduct and extends in front of the aqueduct for a short distance into the floor of the third ventricle. From this nucleus the fibers pass forward through the tegmentum, the red nucleus, and the medial part of the substantia nigra, forming a series of curves with a lateral convexity, and emerge from the oculomotor sulcus on the medial side of the cerebral peduncle.
The nucleus of the oculomotor nerve does not consist of a continuous column of cells, but is broken up into a number of smaller nuclei, which are arranged in two groups, anterior and posterior. Those of the posterior group are six in number, five of which are symmetrical on the two sides of the middle line, while the sixth is centrally placed and is common to the nerves of both sides. The anterior group consists of two nuclei, an antero-medial and an antero-lateral .
The nucleus of the oculomotor nerve, considered from a physiological standpoint, can be subdivided into several smaller groups of cells, each group controlling a particular muscle.
A nearby nucleus, the Edinger-Westphal nucleus, is responsible for the autonomic functions of the oculomotor nerve, including pupillary constriction and lens accommodation.
Additional images
 Nuclei of origin of cranial motor nerves schematically represented; lateral view. |
 Primary terminal nuclei of the afferent (sensory) cranial nerves schematically represented; lateral view. |
 Coronal section through mid-brain. |
 Transverse section of mid-brain at level of inferior colliculi. |
 Scheme showing central connections of the optic nerves and optic tracts. |
 Plan of oculomotor nerve. |
 Figure showing the mode of innervation of the Recti medialis and lateralis of the eye. |
External links
- Atlas of anatomy at UMich n2a4p4 - "Brainstem, Cranial Nerve Nuclei, Sagittal Section, Medial View"
- BrainMaps at UCDavis Oculomotor nucleus
- Oculomotor+nucleus at eMedicine Dictionary
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Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
