Hypoglossal nucleus: Definition from Answers.com

Brain: Hypoglossal nucleus

Section of the medulla oblongata at about the middle of the olive. (Hypoglossal nucleus visible top left.)

The cranial nerve nuclei schematically represented; dorsal view. Motor nuclei in red; sensory in blue. (XII labeled at bottom left.)
Latin	nucleus nervi hypoglossi
Gray's	subject #187 779
NeuroNames	hier-754
NeuroLex ID	birnlex_2644

The hypoglossal nucleus is a cranial nerve nucleus, and it extends the length of the medulla, and being a motor nucleus, is close to the midline. In the open medulla, it is visible as what is known as the hypoglossal trigone, a raised area (medial to the vagal trigone) protruding slightly into the fourth ventricle.

In the closed medulla, the gracile and cuneate nuclei lie posteriorly, which means the nucleus is not as close to the back of the medulla as in the open medulla. It is, however, still close to the midline.

Additional images

Transverse section of medulla oblongata below the middle of the olive.

Nuclei of origin of cranial motor nerves schematically represented; lateral view.

External links

Brainstem at UWisc 07CNXII
Atlas of anatomy at UMich n2a6p2
BrainMaps at UCDavis Hypoglossal nucleus

NIF Search - Hypoglossal Nucleus via the Neuroscience Information Framework

This neuroscience article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Brain: rhombencephalon (hindbrain)

Met-/
pons

Dorsal/
(tegmentum)

Surface	Locus ceruleus

Cranial nuclei	afferent: GSA: Principal V/Spinal V · VIII-c (Dorsal, Anterior)/VIII-v (Lateral, Superior, Medial, Inferior) efferent: SVE: Motor V · VII · GSE: VI · GVE: VII: Superior salivary nucleus

MLF, III, IV and VI	Vestibulo-oculomotor fibers · Vestibulospinal tract (Medial vestibulospinal tract, Lateral vestibulospinal tract)

Sensory/ascending	Trapezoid body/VIII · Superior olivary nucleus · Trigeminal lemniscus (Dorsal trigeminal tract, Ventral trigeminal tract)

ICP	Vestibulocerebellar tract

Motor/descending	Apneustic center · Pneumotaxic center (Medial parabrachial nucleus) · Lateral parabrachial nucleus

Ventral/
(base)

MCP	Pontocerebellar fibers · Pontine nuclei

Motor/descending	Corticospinal tract · Corticobulbar tract · Corticopontine fibers

Raphe/
reticular

Reticular formation (Caudal, Oral, Tegmental, Paramedian) · Raphe nuclei (Median)

Myel-/
medulla

Dorsal

Surface	Posterior median sulcus · Postero-lateral sulcus · Area postrema

Cranial nuclei	afferent: GVA: VII,IX,X: Solitary/tract · SVA: Gustatory nucleus efferent: GSE: XII · GVE: IX,X,XI: Ambiguus · SVE: X: Dorsal · IX: Inferior salivatory nucleus · MLF, III, IV and VI

Sensory/ascending	Gracile nucleus · Cuneate nucleus (Accessory cuneate nucleus) · Sensory decussation · Medial lemniscus

Motor/descending	Dorsal respiratory group

Ventral

Motor/descending	Ventral respiratory group · Pyramid (Motor decussation) · Inferior olivary nucleus (Olivocerebellar tract, Rubro-olivary tract)

Surface	Anterior median fissure · Antero-lateral sulcus · Arcuate nucleus of medulla · Olivary body

Raphe/
reticular

Reticular formation (Gigantocellular, Parvocellular, Ventral, Lateral, Paramedian) · Raphe nuclei (Obscurus, Magnus, Pallidus)

Nerves of head and neck: the cranial nerves and nuclei

olfactory (AON->I)

olfactory bulb · olfactory tract

optic (LGN->II)

optic chiasm · optic tract

oculomotor
(ON, EWN->III)

superior branch (parasympathetic root of ciliary ganglion/ciliary ganglion) · inferior branch

trochlear (TN->IV)

no significant branches

trigeminal
(PSN,TSN,MN,TMN->V)

trigeminal ganglion • ophthalmic • maxillary • mandibular

abducens (AN->VI)

no significant branches

facial (FMN,SN,SSN->VII)

near origin	nervus intermedius • geniculate

inside facial canal	greater petrosal (pterygopalatine ganglion) · nerve to the stapedius · chorda tympani (lingual nerve, submandibular ganglion)

at stylomastoid foramen	posterior auricular · suprahyoid (digastric, stylohyoid) · parotid plexus (temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, cervical)

vestibulocochlear
(VN, CN->VIII)

cochlear (striae medullares, lateral lemniscus) • vestibular (Scarpa's ganglion)

glossopharyngeal
(NA, ISN, SN->IX)

before jugular fossa	ganglia (superior, inferior)

after jugular fossa	tympanic (tympanic plexus, lesser petrosal, otic ganglion) • stylopharyngeal branch • pharyngeal branches • tonsillar branches • lingual branches • carotid sinus

vagus
(NA, DNVN, SN->X)

before jugular fossa	ganglia (superior, inferior)

after jugular fossa	meningeal branch · auricular branch

neck	pharyngeal branch (pharyngeal plexus) · superior laryngeal (external, internal) · recurrent laryngeal (inferior) · superior cervical cardiac

thorax	inferior cardiac · pulmonary · vagal trunks (anterior, posterior)

abdomen	celiac · renal · hepatic · anterior gastric · posterior gastric

accessory (NA,SAN->XI)

cranial · spinal

hypoglossal (HN->XII)

lingual branches

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Hypoglossal nucleus

See also

Additional images

External links