Pons
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
| Brain: Pons | ||
|---|---|---|
| Diagram showing the positions of the three principal subarachnoid cisternæ. (Pons visible at center.) | ||
| Anteroinferior view of the medulla oblongata and pons. | ||
| Gray's | subject #187 785 | |
| Part of | Brain stem | |
| Artery | pontine arteries | |
| NeuroNames | hier-538 | |
| MeSH | Pons | |
|
WikiDoc Resources for Pons | |
|
Articles | |
|---|---|
|
Media | |
|
Evidence Based Medicine | |
|
Clinical Trials | |
|
Ongoing Trials on Pons at Clinical Trials.gov Clinical Trials on Pons at Google
| |
|
Guidelines / Policies / Govt | |
|
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Pons
| |
|
Books | |
|
News | |
|
Commentary | |
|
Definitions | |
|
Patient Resources / Community | |
|
Directions to Hospitals Treating Pons Risk calculators and risk factors for Pons
| |
|
Healthcare Provider Resources | |
|
Continuing Medical Education (CME) | |
|
International | |
|
| |
|
Businness | |
|
Experimental / Informatics | |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Phone:617-525-6884
Please Take Over This Page and Apply to be Editor-In-Chief for this topic: There can be one or more than one Editor-In-Chief. You may also apply to be an Associate Editor-In-Chief of one of the subtopics below. Please mail us [2] to indicate your interest in serving either as an Editor-In-Chief of the entire topic or as an Associate Editor-In-Chief for a subtopic. Please be sure to attach your CV and or biographical sketch.
Overview
The pons (sometimes pons Varolii after Costanzo Varolio) is a structure located on the brain stem. It is rostral to the medulla oblongata, caudal to the midbrain, and ventral to the cerebellum. In humans and other bipeds this means it is above the medulla, below the midbrain, and anterior to the cerebellum.
Function
It is part of the central nervous system, and relays sensory information between the cerebellum and cerebrum. Aids in relaying messages in the brain, and contains the pneumotaxic centres that help regulate respiration. Also controls arousal. Some theories pose that it has a role in dreaming.[1]
Anatomy of the pons
The "knob-like" process is 2 centimeters long and located on the anterior (front) of the brainstem. It is formed of nerves that travel from one side (left or right) to the other. Most other fibres in the brainstem travel up and down.
The posterior (back) surface of the pons forms part of the wall of the fourth ventricle of the brain.
Most blood to the pons is supplied by pontine arteries. These are small arteries that branch off the basilar artery (of the Circle of Willis). Blood also comes from the anterior inferior, and superior cerebellar arteries.
There are two main domains in the pons for control of respiration:[1]
- the apneustic center - lower pons
- the pneumotaxic center - upper pons
Cranial nerve nuclei
A number of cranial nerve nuclei are present in the pons:
- mid-pons: The chief or pontine nucleus of the trigeminal nerve sensory nucleus (V)
- mid-pons: the motor nucleus for the trigeminal nerve (V)
- lower down in the pons: abducens nucleus (VI)
- lower down in the pons: facial nerve nucleus (VII)
- lower down in the pons: vestibulocochlear nuclei (vestibular nuclei and cochlear nuclei) (VIII)
Additional images
The hypophysis cerebri in position. Shown in sagittal section. |
|||
References
External links
cs:Varolův mostda:Pons de:Pons fr:Pont de Varole it:Ponte di Varolio lt:Tiltas (smegenys) nl:Pons (hersenen) ja:橋 (脳)sk:Varolov most sr:Варолијев мост fi:Aivosilta
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 .


