Brainstem

Brainstem
Brainstem
	The three distinct parts of the brainstem are colored in this sagittal section of a human brain.
Details
Part of	Brain
Parts	Medulla, pons, midbrain
Identifiers
Latin	truncus encephali
MeSH	D001933
NeuroNames	2052, 236
NeuroLex ID	birnlex_1565
TA98	A14.1.03.009
TA2	5856
FMA	79876
	Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The brainstem (or brain stem) is the posterior stalk-like part of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord.^[1] In the human brain the brainstem is composed of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata.^[1] The midbrain is continuous with the thalamus of the diencephalon through the tentorial notch, and sometimes the diencephalon is included in the brainstem.^[2]

The brainstem is very small, making up around only 2.6 percent of the brain's total weight.^[3] It has the critical roles of regulating heart and respiratory function, helping to control heart rate and breathing rate.^[4] It also provides the main motor and sensory nerve supply to the face and neck via the cranial nerves. Ten pairs of cranial nerves come from the brainstem.^[5] Other roles include the regulation of the central nervous system and the body's sleep cycle.^[4] It is also of prime importance in the conveyance of motor and sensory pathways from the rest of the brain to the body, and from the body back to the brain.^[4] These pathways include the corticospinal tract (motor function), the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway (fine touch, vibration sensation, and proprioception), and the spinothalamic tract (pain, temperature, itch, and crude touch).^[6]

^ ^a ^b Singh, Vishram (2014). Textbook of Anatomy Head, Neck, and Brain ; Volume III (2nd ed.). Elsevier India. p. 363. ISBN 9788131237274.
^ Haines, D; Mihailoff, G (2018). Fundamental Neuroscience for Basic and Clinical Applications (5th ed.). Elsevier. p. 152. ISBN 9780323396325.
^ Haines, D; Mihailoff, G (2018). Fundamental Neuroscience for Basic and Clinical Applications (5th ed.). Elsevier. p. 195. ISBN 9780323396325.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Brainstem | Definition, Structure, & Function". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
^ "Cranial Nerve Nuclei and Brain Stem Circulation". Neuroanatomy Online. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
^ Kolb, B. & Whishaw, I. Q. (2009). Fundamentals of human neuropsychology: 6th ed., New York: Worth Publishers.^{[ISBN missing]}