Functions of pons

\( \newcommand\) • • • • • • • The pons is a relay station between the forebrain and cerebellum that passes sensory information from the periphery to the thalamus. Key Points • The pons is a structure located on the brainstem, named after the Latin word for “bridge.” • This white matter includes tracts that conduct signals from the cerebrum down to the cerebellum and medulla, as well as tracts that carry the sensory signals up into the thalamus. • The pons contains nuclei that relay signals from the forebrain to the cerebellum, along with nuclei that deal primarily with sleep, respiration, swallowing, bladder control, hearing, equilibrium, taste, eye movement, facial expressions, facial sensation, and posture. • Within the pons is the pneumotaxic center, a nucleus that regulates the change from inspiration to expiration. • The pons also contains the sleep paralysis center of the brain and plays a role in generating dreams. • The functions of these four nerves include sensory roles in hearing, equilibrium, taste, and in facial sensations such as touch and pain. They also have motor roles in eye movement, facial expressions, chewing, swallowing, urination, and the secretion of saliva and tears. Key Terms • pons: Contains nuclei that relay signals from the forebrain to the cerebellum, along with nuclei that regulate sleep, respiration, swallowing, bladder control, hearing, equilibrium, taste, eye movement, facial expressions, facial sensation, and posture. • pneumotaxic cente...

Another primary function of the pons is to connect the forebrain with the hindbrain. It connects the cerebrum to the cerebellum through the cerebral peduncle. The cerebral peduncle is the anterior portion of the midbrain that consists of large nerve tracts. The pons relays sensory information between the cerebrum and cerebellum. Functions under the control of the cerebellum include fine motor coordination and control, balance, equilibrium, muscle tone, fine motor coordination, and a sense of body position. Pons Injury Damage to the pons can result in serious problems as this brain area is important for connecting areas of the brain that control autonomic functions and movement. Injury to the pons may result in sleep disturbances, sensory problems, arousal dysfunction and coma. Locked-in syndrome is a condition resulting from damage to nerve pathways in the pons that connect the cerebrum, Bailey, Regina. "Where in the Brain Is the Pons." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/anatomy-of-the-brain-pons-373227. Bailey, Regina. (2023, April 5). Where in the Brain Is the Pons. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/anatomy-of-the-brain-pons-373227 Bailey, Regina. "Where in the Brain Is the Pons." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/anatomy-of-the-brain-pons-373227 (accessed June 17, 2023).

\( \newcommand\) • • • • • • The medulla and the pons are involved in the regulation of the ventilatory pattern of respiration. Learning Objectives • Describe the neural mechanism of the respiratory center in respiration control Involuntary respiration is any form of respiratory control that is not under direct, conscious control. Breathing is required to sustain life, so involuntary respiration allows it to happen when voluntary respiration is not possible, such as during sleep. Involuntary respiration also has metabolic functions that work even when a person is conscious. The Respiratory Centers Involuntary respiration is controlled by the respiratory centers of the upper brainstem (sometimes termed the lower brain, along with the cerebellum). This region of the brain controls many involuntary and metabolic functions besides the respiratory system, including certain aspects of cardiovascular function and involuntary muscle movements (in the cerebellum). Anatomy of the brainstem: The brainstem, which includes the pons and medulla. The respiratory centers contain chemoreceptors that detect pH levels in the blood and send signals to the respiratory centers of the brain to adjust the ventilation rate to change acidity by increasing or decreasing the removal of carbon dioxide (since carbon dioxide is linked to higher levels of hydrogen ions in blood). There are also peripheral chemoreceptors in other blood vessels that perform this function as well, which include the aortic a...