Chapter 5

Jingying T.A.
Department of physiology
willa2004@yahoo.com
 review
 motor cortex
 descending tracts (brain stem, cerebellum and
basal ganglia)
 review
 motor neuron:
α-motor neuron:
γ-motor neuron:
 review

 motor unit: a motor neuron plus the muscle cells it

innervates constitutes an important functional unit , called a
motor unit.
review

proprioceptor
 review

Cord functions:
 Muscle stretch reflex (based on muscle spindle)
 Golgi tendon reflex
 Flexor reflex and the withdrawal reflexes
 Crossed extensor reflex
 Reflexes of posture and locomotion
 Scratch reflex
 Autonomic reflexes in the spinal cord
 motor cortex
anterior to the central cortical sulcus;
occupying about the 1/3 of the frontal lobes;
 primary motor cortex: in the first convolution; excitement of neurons
excite a pattern of muscles;

 premotor area: cause much more

complex pattern of movement; deve
lop “motor image”.
supplementary motor area:
cause bilateral muscle
contraction; provide background
for the finer motor.
primary motor cortex
 motor cortex

distribution features of somatic movement:

 contra lateral control (with bilateral control for facial

muscles);
 upward down;

 topographical organization;

 area proportionally to the dexterousness.

homunculus
 descending tracts
•pyramidal tract (corticos
pinal tract ): from cortex t
o the spinal cord directly;

* extrapyramidal tracts: in
directly through basal ga
nglia, cerebellum, and n
uclei in brain stem.
 descending tracts

pyramidal tract
 descending tracts
motor areas in the brain stem:
 vestibular nuclei: vestibulospinal tracts
 red nuclei: rubrospinal tracts
 reticular formation: reciculospinal tracts
 descending tracts
 functions:
pyramidal tracts: synapse directly with motor neurons.
rubrospinal tracts: distribute to spinal motor neurons supplyi
ng distal limb muscles.
both in fine motor control

vestibulospinal tracts:
reticulospinal tracts:

in the control of balance and locomotion

 descending tracts
the cerebellum:
receives inputs from a wide variety of sources including:
1 the vestibular apparatus;
2 peripheral sensory receptors, especially muscle spindles
and proprioceptors in joints;
3 the visual and auditory system;
4 the corticospinal pathway.

and sends outputs to motor cortex (via the thalamus)

to brain stem motor areas.

playing a significant role in motor control.

 descending tracts
the basal ganglia:
receives input from :
 wide areas of cortex, including motor cortex;
 the thalamus, a relay station for sensory pathways;
 the substantia nigra in the midbrain.

sends output to:

motor cortex via the thalamus

suggesting: have influence on the corticospinal output, especi

ally in the initiation of movement and in controlling body po
sture to allow for fine movements.
 descending tracts

summary of the descending tracts