LEMNISCUS LATERALIS Meaning and
Definition
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The term "lemniscus lateralis" refers to a structure found in the brainstem that is involved in transmitting sensory information related to touch, pain, and temperature sensations from the body to the brain. The word "lemniscus" is derived from the Latin term for "ribbon" or "band," which is a fitting description for the shape of this structure.
Specifically, the lemniscus lateralis is a bundle of nerve fibers located in the brainstem's pons and medulla oblongata. It carries sensory input from the opposite side of the body to the thalamus, which acts as a relay station for sensory information before it reaches the cerebral cortex for further processing.
The lemniscus lateralis receives input primarily from the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway, which is responsible for transmitting fine touch, vibration, and proprioceptive information. Axons from neurons in the dorsal column ascend up through the spinal cord and synapse in the medulla, where the lemniscus lateralis begins. From there, the fibers project upward to the thalamus, forming synapses along the way.
Damage to the lemniscus lateralis can lead to sensory deficits on the opposite side of the body, such as reduced sensitivity to touch or impaired proprioceptive awareness. Deficits may manifest as numbness, tingling, or an altered perception of sensations.
Understanding the role and anatomy of the lemniscus lateralis is crucial for comprehending the neural pathways involved in relaying sensory information from the body to the brain.
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• Lateral fillet, a band of longitudinal fibers arising in the lower portion of the pons from the corpus trapezoideum and passing upward, near the lateral surface of the pons, to the nucleus of the inferior quadrigeminal body and the gray substance of the corpus geniculatum internum.
• Lateral (acoustic) fillet, a band of longitudinal fibers in the central portion of the pons to the outer side of the medial fillet.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for LEMNISCUS LATERALIS
- kemniscus lateralis
- pemniscus lateralis
- oemniscus lateralis
- lwmniscus lateralis
- lsmniscus lateralis
- ldmniscus lateralis
- lrmniscus lateralis
- l4mniscus lateralis
- l3mniscus lateralis
- lenniscus lateralis
- lekniscus lateralis
- lejniscus lateralis
- lembiscus lateralis
- lemmiscus lateralis
- lemjiscus lateralis
- lemhiscus lateralis
- lemnuscus lateralis
- lemnjscus lateralis
- lemnkscus lateralis
- lemnoscus lateralis
Etymology of LEMNISCUS LATERALIS
The word "lemniscus lateralis" has its etymology rooted in Latin and Greek.
- "Lemniscus" comes from the Latin term "lemniscus", which means "ribbon" or "strip". It was used in anatomy to describe structures that resemble a ribbon-like shape. This term was borrowed from the Greek word "lemniskos", which also means "ribbon".
- "Lateralis" is a Latin word meaning "on the side" or "to the side". It is derived from the Latin noun "latus", which means "side".
Therefore, "lemniscus lateralis" refers to the lateral (sideways) part of the lemniscus, which is a ribbon-like neural pathway in the brainstem.
