Pons
| Pons | |
|---|---|
Pons in the brainstem | |
Anteroinferior view of the medulla oblongata and pons | |
| Details | |
| Part of | Brain stem |
| Artery | Pontine arteries |
| Vein | Transverse and lateral pontine veins |
| Identifiers | |
| MeSH | D011149 |
| NeuroNames | 547 |
| NeuroLex ID | birnlex_733 |
| TA98 | A14.1.03.010 |
| TA2 | 5921 |
| FMA | 67943 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The pons (from Latin pons, 'bridge') is the part of the brainstem that, in humans and other mammals, lies inferior to the midbrain, superior to the medulla oblongata, and anterior to the cerebellum.
The pons is also called the pons Varolii ('bridge of Variolus'), after the Italian anatomist and surgeon Costanzo Varolio (1543–1575). The pons contains neural pathways and nerve tracts that conduct signals from the brain down to the cerebellum and medulla, as well as pathways that carry the sensory signals up into the thalamus.