The ventral surface of the brainstem is rich in structures that interface the brain to the body, the cranial nerves. The medulla, pons, and midbrain demarcate regions where nerves emerge from the brainstem surface. The medulla has the hypoglossal (12th) nerve emerging between the pyramids and the inferior olive. just dorsal to the extent of the inferior olive are the vagus nerve roots. The 11th nerve is caudal to the vagus N arising from both the spinal cord and the brainstem.

• The ventral surface of the brainstem is rich in structures that interface the brain to the body, the cranial nerves. The medulla, pons, and midbrain demarcate regions where nerves emerge from the brainstem surface. The medulla has the hypoglossal (12th) nerve emerging between the pyramids and the inferior olive. just dorsal to the extent of the inferior olive are the vagus nerve roots. The 11th nerve is caudal to the vagus N arising from both the spinal cord and the brainstem.

• At the medulla pons junction,four nerves are prominent: 6th (abducens) near the midline, lateral at the rostral limit of the vagus is the 9th nerve (glossopharyngeal nerve); lateral at the pons-medulla junction are the 7th (facial and 8th nerves (vestibular & auditory). At the mid-pons, the 5th motor and sensory nerve bundles emerge marking the junction of the pons with the middle cerebellar peduncles. From the midbrain, the third nerve emerges ventral and the fourth nerves emerges dorsal.