Brain Anatomy: Neural Pathways and Structures

Posted on Mar 12, 2025 in Biology

Sensory Pathways

Pain

  1. Enkephalin-containing neuron in the periaqueductal gray matter
  2. Locus coeruleus
  3. Lateral reticular formation
  4. Brain stem tegmental noradrenergic cell groups
  5. Descending norepinephrine pathway
  6. Corticonuclear fibers
  7. Descending serotonin pathway
  8. Spinoreticular pathway
  9. Posterolateral funiculus
  10. Anterolateral funiculus
  11. Enkephalin-containing neurons in the substantia gelatinosa
  12. Afferent pain neuron of dorsal root ganglion

Taste

Taste

  1. Ventral posteromedial (VPM) nucleus of thalamus
  2. Lateral hypothalamic area
  3. Amygdala
  4. Pontine taste area (parabrachial nucleus)
  5. Geniculate ganglion
  6. Nervus intermedius
  7. Rostral part of nucleus of solitary tract
  8. Glossopharyngeal (IX) nerve
  9. Petrosal (inferior) ganglion of glossopharyngeal nerve
  10. Nodose (inferior) ganglion of vagus nerve
  11. Vagus (X) nerve
  12. Vallate papillae
  13. Foliate papillae
  14. Fungiform papillae

Auditory

Auditory

  1. Acoustic area of temporal lobe cortex
  2. Medial geniculate body
  3. Brachium of inferior colliculus
  4. Inferior colliculus
  5. Lateral lemnisci
  6. Nuclei of lateral lemnisci
  7. Superior olivary complex
  8. Intermediate acoustic stria
  9. Trapezoid body (ventral acoustic stria)
  10. Reticular formation
  11. Dorsal acoustic stria
  12. Spiral ganglion
  13. Ventral cochlear nucleus
  14. Dorsal cochlear nucleus

Visual

  1. Optic nerve
  2. Optic chiasm
  3. Optic tract
  4. Optic radiations
  5. Inferior nasal fibers, which decussate
  6. Optic chiasm inferior nasal fibers
  7. Optic chiasm superior nasal fibers
  8. Temporal fibers, which follow ipsilaterally

Basal Ganglia

Basal Ganglia

  1. Caudate nucleus
  2. Corticostriatal projections
  3. Striatopallidal projections
  4. Putamen
  5. External segment of globus pallidus
  6. Internal segment of globus pallidus
  7. Lenticular fasciculus
  8. Ansa lenticularis
  9. Raphe nuclei
  10. Substantia nigra
  11. Subthalamus
  12. Centromedian nucleus of thalamus
  13. Ventral lateral nucleus of thalamus
  14. Ventral anterior nucleus of thalamus

Autonomic Nervous System

  1. Nucleus of Edinger-Westphal
  2. Superior salivatory nucleus
  3. Inferior salivatory nucleus
  4. Dorsal motor nucleus of X
  5. Lateral horn (intermediolateral cell column)
  6. Thoracic spinal cord (T1-L2)
  7. Sacral spinal cord (S2-S4)
  8. Intermediate gray
  9. Sympathetic chain ganglia
  10. Intramural ganglia
  11. Collateral ganglia
  12. Splanchnic nerve
  13. Spinal nerve
  14. Otic ganglion
  15. Submandibular ganglion
  16. Pterygopalatine ganglion
  17. Ciliary ganglion

Cerebellar Pathways

  1. Pontine nuclei
  2. Cortical input
  3. Tectocerebellar afferences
  4. Pontocerebellar afferences
  5. Vestibulospinal afferences
  6. Reticulocerebellar tract
  7. Cuneocerebellar tract
  8. Dorsal spinocerebellar tract
  9. Ventral spinocerebellar tract
  10. Rostral spinocerebellar tract

Corticospinal Tract

  1. Primary motor cortex (Area 4)
  2. Posterior limb of internal capsule
  3. Cerebral peduncle
  4. Basis pontis
  5. Pyramid
  6. Decussation of pyramids
  7. Lateral (crossed) corticospinal tract
  8. Anterior (direct) corticospinal tract

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

  1. Hypothalamic neurons for releasing and inhibitory factors
  2. Supraoptic nucleus
  3. Hypophyseal portal veins
  4. Specific glandular cells of anterior lobe (adenohypophysis)
  5. MSH (melanocyte-stimulating hormone)
  6. IGF-1
  7. GH
  8. PRL (prolactin)
  9. LH (luteinizing hormone)
  10. FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone)
  11. ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone)
  12. TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone)
  13. Superior hypophyseal artery
  14. Hypothalamic artery
  15. Blood-borne molecular influences on corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-producing neurons