The lateral cervical

nucleus Nucleus ( : nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to: *Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom * Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA Nucl ...

is a scattered nucleus located dorsally in the

lateral funiculus The most lateral of the bundles of the anterior nerve roots In anatomy and neurology, the ventral root of spinal nerve, anterior root, or motor root is the efferent motor root of a spinal nerve. At its distal end, the ventral root joins with the ...

in the first three cervical segments of the

spine Spine or spinal may refer to: Science Biology * Vertebral column, also known as the backbone * Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite * Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants * Spine (zoolo ...

. The spinocervical and spinothalamic tracts synapse in the lateral cervical nucleus; the spinocervical tract projects ipsilaterally while the spinothalamic tract projects contralaterally. The

axon An axon (from Greek ἄξων ''áxōn'', axis), or nerve fiber (or nerve fibre: see spelling differences), is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, in vertebrates, that typically conducts electrical impulses known as action ...

s of neurons from the lateral cervical nucleus cross the midline, join the

medial lemniscus In neuroanatomy, the medial lemniscus, also known as Reil's band or Reil's ribbon (for German anatomist Johann Christian Reil), is a large ascending bundle of heavily myelinated axons that decussate (cross) in the brainstem, specifically in the m ...

as it forms in the caudal

medulla Medulla or Medullary may refer to: Science * Medulla oblongata, a part of the brain stem * Renal medulla, a part of the kidney * Adrenal medulla, a part of the adrenal gland * Medulla of ovary, a stroma in the center of the ovary * Medulla of ...

and ascend to the

ventral posterolateral nucleus The ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL) is a nucleus of the thalamus. Together with the ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM), ventral posterior inferior nucleus (VPI) and ventromedial posterior nucleus (VMpo), it constitutes the ventral posteri ...

.Nolte, John. Nolte’s The Human Brain E-Book: An Introduction to its Functional Anatomy. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2015.

References

Spinal cord {{Neuroanatomy-stub