Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Facial motor nucleus

    A nucleus in the medulla oblongata in the floor of the fourth ventricle giving rise to efferent fibers of the facial nerve.  

  • Emboliform nucleus

    A nucleus of the cerebellum lying between the dentate and globose nuclei. It receives the axons of Purkinje cells and sends efferent fibers into the brachium conjunctivum.  

  • Edinger-Westphal nucleus

    A nucleus of the midbrain located dorsomedially to the oculomotor nucleus. It gives rise to the visceral efferent fibers terminating in the ciliary ganglion, the axons from which innervate the ciliary muscle and the sphincter iridis of the eye. A small group of nerve cells in the rostral portion of the nucleus of the oculomotor…

  • Dorsal nucleus of the spinal cord

    A column of gray matter lying at the base of the dorsal horn of the gray matter and extending from the seventh cervical to the third lumbar segments. These cells give rise to fibers of the dorsal spinocerebellar tract.  

  • Dorsal motor nucleus of vagus

    A column of cells in the medulla oblongata lying lateral to the hypoglossal nucleus. It receives visceral afferent fibers.  

  • Dorsal cochlear nucleus

    The nucleus in the medulla oblongata lying dorsal to the restiform body and receiving fibers from the cochlear nerve.  

  • Diploid nucleus

    A nucleus containing the normal double complement of chromosomes.  

  • Dentate nucleus

    A large convoluted mass of gray matter in the lateral portion of the cerebellum. It is folded so as to enclose some of the central white matter and gives rise to the fibers of the superior cerebellar peduncle.  

  • Cuneate nucleus

    A nucleus in the inferior portion of the medulla oblongata in which fibers of the fasciculus cuneatus terminate.  

  • Cochlear nucleus

    Either of two side-by-side nuclei on the outside of the inferior cerebellar peduncle in the brainstem that are innervated by axons of the spiral ganglion. They carry sound information to the central nervous system from the spiral organ (of Corti) in the internal ear.