Page 355 - Clinical Anatomy
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340 The central nervous system
It is continuous below, through the foramen magnum, with the spinal cord
and above with the pons; posteriorly, it is connected with the cerebellum by
way of the inferior cerebellar peduncles.
External features (Fig. 240)
The anterior surface of the medulla is grooved by an anteromedian fissure,
on either side of which are the swellings due to the pyramidal tracts. These
pyramids, in turn, are separated from the olivary eminences by the anterolat-
eral sulcus along which the rootlets of the XIIth cranial nerve emerge.
(a)
(b)
Fig. 240◊The base of the brain showing the cranial nerve roots and their
relationships to the circle of Willis.
