Intro | Amygdala | Brainstem | Cerebellum | Cerebrum | Corpus Callosum | Reticular Formation | Hippocampus | Hypothalamus | Medulla | Pituitary Gland | Pons | Spinal Cord | Thalamus
Part 1: Image-Mapped Tutorial
Part 2: Matching Self-Test
Part 3: Multiple-Choice Self-Test
The Pons lies in the hindbrain in front of (anterior to) the cerebellum, between the medulla below (inferior) and the midbrain above (superior). It contains a bundle of fibers that connects the muscles of the body via the spinal cord to the cerebellum. The pons also contains several groups of neurons (the reticular formation) that control the daily sleep-wake cycle and states of arousal while awake.
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The term pons means bridge in Latin. This name was chosen because of the fibers originating in the pons that pass to the left and right conveying information to the cerebellum. The pons also contains the nuclei for several of the cranial nerves that control movements of the face, head, and shoulders.