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- Glossary
Paraventricular nucleus
A nucleus of the hypothalamus whose neurons produce various hormones, including oxytocin and vasopressin, which are transported to the neurohypophysis. The PVN sends axons to the limbic system, the brain stem, and other hypothalamic nuclei.
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- Glossary
Red nucleus
The "red nucleus" owes its name to its high iron content. It can be seen with the naked eye as a large, round, reddish-colored nucleus in the midbrain. It belongs to the extrapyramidal motor system, and its central tasks are posture and muscle tone.
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- Glossary
Subthalamic nucleus
Although the subthalamic nucleus is a nucleus of the subthalamus in the diencephalon, it is functionally closely involved in the motor control of the basal ganglia. Damage to this nucleus can lead to temporary, uncontrolled, jerky movements of the extremities – known as ballism.
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- Glossary
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
A nucleus of the hypothalamus that plays a central role in circadian rhythms, including the sleep-wake cycle. It is the master clock, the body's most important internal clock, controlling melatonin production in the epiphysis. It receives direct input from the retinal ganglion cells.
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- Glossary
Supraoptic nucleus
A core area of the hypothalamus, located above the optic nerves. This is where the peptide hormones vasopressin and oxytocin are produced.
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- Glossary
Nucleus tractus solitarius
A nucleus in the medulla oblongata that serves as an important integration center for visceral information. Among other things, it processes taste stimuli (via nerves VII, IX, and X) and transmits them via the thalamus (ventral posteromedial nucleus, VPM) to the primary gustatory cortex. The NTS is also involved in the motor functions of swallowing, coughing, and respiratory control by transmitting signals to motor nuclei such as the nucleus ambiguus. These reflexes serve to protect the respiratory tract and facilitate food intake.
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- Glossary
Posterior ventral nucleus
A nucleus of the dorsal thalamus that serves as the main somatosensory thalamic nucleus. The VPL receives somatosensory afferents from the body via the spinal cord (pressure, touch, vibration, proprioception, pain, temperature), while the VPM receives afferents from the head region via the trigeminal nerve. It transmits this information to the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and thus plays a central role in the awareness of somatosensory stimuli, including pain.
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- Glossary
Ear
The ear is not only the organ of hearing, but also of balance. A distinction is made between the outer ear with the auricle and external auditory canal, the middle ear with the eardrum and ossicles, and the actual hearing and balance organ, the inner ear with the cochlea and semicircular canals.
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- Glossary
Ear canal
Sound waves captured by the outer ear enter the external auditory canal and cause the eardrum at the end of the canal to vibrate.
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- Glossary
Occipital lobe
One of the four large lobes of the cerebral cortex. The occipital lobe lies above the cerebellum. It borders the parietal and temporal lobes at the front. The calcarine sulcus divides the occipital lobe into an upper and lower half, the cuneus and the lingual gyrus. Functionally, this area of the brain is responsible for the central processing of visual information – both the primary and secondary visual cortex are located in the occipital lobe.
