Cerebral peduncle

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Brain: Cerebral peduncle

Superficial dissection of brain-stem. Ventral view. ("Cerebral peduncle" visible in red at center-right.)

Section through superior colliculus showing path of oculomotor nerve. (Crus cerebri labeled at lower left.)
Latin	pedunculus cerebri
Gray's	subject #188 800
NeuroNames	hier-478
MeSH	Cerebral+Peduncle
Dorlands/Elsevier	p_10/12622555

The cerebral peduncle, by most classifications, is everything in the mesencephalon except the tectum. The region includes the midbrain tegmentum, crus cerebri, substantia nigra and pretectum. By this definition, the cerebral peduncles are also known as the basis pedunculi, while the large ventral bundle of efferent fibers is referred to as the crus cerebri or the pes pedunculi There are numerous nerve tracts located within this section of the brainstem. Of note, in the cerebral peduncular loop fibers from motor areas of the brain project to the cerebral peduncle and then project to various thalamic nuclei.

In as much as the peduncles are an anatomic landmark, for details regarding the function of this area interested readers are referred to the individual referenced articles. On a broad scale, though, this area contains many nerve tracts conveying motor information to and from the brain to the rest of the body.

Important fibers running through the cerebral peduncles include the corticospinal tract and the corticobulbar tract, among others.

[edit] Additional images

Scheme showing the connections of the several parts of the brain.	Superficial dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.	Dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.	Deep dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.
Dissection showing the projection fibers of the cerebellum.	Median sagittal section of brain.	The left optic nerve and the optic tracts.	Upper part of medulla spinalis and hind- and mid-brains; posterior aspect, exposed in situ.
Human brainstem anterior view