| cochlear root of VIII nerve | <anatomy, nerve> One of the components of the vestibulocochlear nerve; it is made up of the central processes of the bipolar neurons which compose the spiral (cochlear) ganglion in the spiral canal of the modiolus of the bony cochlea; the cochlear root enters the cranial cavity by passing in fascicles through the spiral foraminous tract at the bottom of the internal auditory meatus; it enters the brainstem through the pontomedullary groove, closely adhering to the caudoventral aspect of the vestibular root, and distributes its fibres to the ventral and dorsal cochlear nuclei in the floor of the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle. Synonym: radix cochlearis, cochlear root of vestibulocochlear nerve, inferior root of vestibulocochlear nerve, radix inferior nervi vestibulocochlearis. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| cochlear window | An opening on the medial wall of the middle ear leading into the cochlea, closed in life by the secondary tympanic membrane. Synonym: cochlear window, fenestra of the cochlea, fenestra rotunda, round window. (05 Mar 2000) |
| crest of cochlear opening | The edge of the opening of the cochlear window to which the secondary tympanic membrane is attached. Synonym: crista fenestrae cochleae, crest of cochlear opening. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cupular caecum of the cochlear duct | The upper blind extremity of the cochlear duct. Synonym: caecum cupulare, cupular blind sac, lagena. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spiral cochlear ganglion | An elongated ganglion of bipolar sensory nerve cell bodies on the cochlear part of the vestibulocochlear nerve in the spiral canal of the modiolus; each ganglion cell gives rise to a peripheral process that passes between the layers of the bony spiral lamina to the organ of Corti, and a central axon that enters the hindbrain as a component of the inferior (cochlear) root of the eighth nerve. Synonym: ganglion spirale cochleae, auditory ganglion, cochlear ganglion, Corti's ganglion, spiral cochlear ganglion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tectorial membrane of cochlear duct | A gelatinous membrane that overlies the spiral organ (Corti) in the inner ear. Synonym: membrana tectoria ductus cochlearis, Corti's membrane, tectorium. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tympanic wall of cochlear duct | The wall that separates the cochlear duct from the scala tympani; it consists of the osseous spiral lamina and the basilar membrane. Synonym: paries tympanicus ductus cochlearis, membrana spiralis, spiral membrane. (05 Mar 2000) |
| external aperture of cochlear canaliculus | The external opening of the cochlear aqueduct on the temporal bone medial to the jugular fossa. Synonym: apertura externa canaliculi cochleae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| external wall of cochlear duct | The wall that faces the outer side of the cochlea. Synonym: paries externus ductus cochlearis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| little fossa of the cochlear window | A depression on the medial wall of the middle ear which has the fenestra cochleae (round window) in its lower portion. Synonym: fossula rotunda, little fossa of the cochlear window. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abducens nucleus | Nucleus of abducent nervenucleus abducentis, a group of motor neurons in the lower part of the pons, innervating the lateral rectus muscle of the eye; unique among motor cranial nerve nuclei in that it consists of two distinct populations of neurons: neurons that give rise to fibres forming the abducens nerve root and those internuclear neurons whose processes cross the midline, ascend in the opposite medial longitudinal fasciculus, and terminate upon specific oculomotor neurons; considered a primary centre for mechanisms controlling conjugate horizontal gaze. Synonym: nucleus nervi abducentis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accessory cuneate nucleus | A cell group lateral to the cuneate nucleus which receives posterior-root fibres corresponding to the proprioceptive innervation of the arm and hand; it projects to the cerebellum by way of the cuneocerebellar tract, and can be considered the upper-extremity equivalent of the thoracic nucleus. Synonym: nucleus cuneatus accessorius, external cuneate nucleus, lateral cuneate nucleus, Monakow's nucleus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| almond nucleus | Almond-shaped group of basal nuclei anterior to the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle of the brain, within the temporal lobe. The amygdala is part of the limbic system. (12 Dec 1998) |
| ambiguous nucleus | A very slender, longitudinal column of motor neurons in the ventrolateral medulla oblongata; its efferent fibres leave with the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerve and innervate the striated muscle fibres of the pharynx (including the musculus levator veli palatini) and the vocal cord muscles of the larynx. Synonym: ambiguous nucleus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| amygdaloid nucleus | Almond-shaped group of basal nuclei anterior to the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle of the brain, within the temporal lobe. The amygdala is part of the limbic system. (12 Dec 1998) |