Nervous system

Axillary nerve

Motor and sensory supply around the deltoid

Brachial plexus

Network that redistributes upper-limb nerve fibers

Long thoracic nerve

Long surface route to serratus anterior

Median nerve

Major nerve for forearm flexor muscles and thumb control

Musculocutaneous nerve

Arm motor supply that continues to forearm skin

Radial nerve

Major supply to the posterior arm and forearm

Suprascapular nerve

Nerve linking two posterior rotator-cuff muscles

Thoracodorsal nerve

Posterior-cord route to latissimus dorsi

Ulnar nerve

Fine hand control and little-finger-side sensation

Lower limb

Common fibular (peroneal) nerve

Sciatic branch vulnerable where it curves around the fibular neck

Deep fibular (peroneal) nerve

Nerve for ankle dorsiflexion and the first dorsal toe web

Femoral nerve

Lumbar-plexus nerve supplying knee extension and anterior thigh sensation

Inferior gluteal nerve

Sacral-plexus motor route to gluteus maximus

Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve

Cutaneous nerve for the outer and front-outer thigh

Obturator nerve

Lumbar-plexus nerve serving most thigh adductors

Pudendal nerve

Somatic nerve carrying perineal sensation and sphincter control

Saphenous nerve

Femoral sensory branch extending along the medial leg

Sciatic nerve

Large sacral-plexus nerve containing tibial and fibular divisions

Superficial fibular (peroneal) nerve

Lateral-leg motor nerve continuing into dorsal foot skin branches

Superior gluteal nerve

Nerve to gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae

Tibial nerve

Main nerve to posterior leg muscles and the plantar foot

Thorax

Greater splanchnic nerve

Thoracic sympathetic fibers continuing to the upper abdomen

Intercostal nerves

Segmental nerves supplying the chest and abdominal walls

Phrenic nerve

Cervical nerve that drives each half of the diaphragm

Sympathetic trunk

Linked ganglia extending along both sides of the spine

Thoracic splanchnic nerves

Visceral pathways whose fiber type depends on the named group

Abdomen

Anterior vagal trunk

Vagal fibers reaching the front of the abdominal esophagus

Celiac ganglion

Prevertebral sympathetic relay beside the celiac artery

Celiac plexus

Autonomic network around the upper abdominal aorta

Enteric nervous system

Local sensory and motor circuits within the digestive tract

Genitofemoral nerve

Lumbar-plexus nerve with genital and upper-thigh branches

Iliohypogastric nerve

L1 pathway to the suprapubic wall and lateral buttock

Ilioinguinal nerve

Groin sensory nerve accompanying part of the inguinal canal

Lumbar plexus

A nerve network embedded in the posterior part of psoas

Posterior vagal trunk

Right-predominant vagal pathway behind the abdominal esophagus

Pelvis

Pelvic splanchnic nerves

Parasympathetic fibers from the second to fourth sacral segments

Sacral plexus

Lumbosacral fibers gathered on the pelvic surface of piriformis

Back

Cauda equina

Descending nerve roots below the end of the spinal cord

Conus medullaris

Tapered end of the spinal cord containing its lowest segments

Denticulate ligaments

Toothed pial attachments connecting the cord to spinal dura

Dermatomes

Overlapping skin regions linked to spinal sensory roots

Dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway

Ascending pathway for precise touch and body-position awareness

Dorsal root ganglion

Cluster of primary sensory neuron cell bodies on a spinal root

Filum terminale

Slender connective attachment from the conus toward the coccyx

Lateral corticospinal tract

Descending cortical pathway important for skilled limb movement

Lumbar cistern

Cerebrospinal fluid space surrounding the lower descending roots

Spinal cord

Central pathway and local processing center within the spine

Spinal nerve

Short nerve trunk joining sensory and motor root fibers

Spinocerebellar tracts

Pathways informing the cerebellum about limb position and spinal activity

Spinothalamic tract

Ascending anterolateral pathway for pain, temperature and coarse touch

Head & neck

Abducens nerve (CN VI)

Motor nerve that turns the eye outward

Abducens nucleus

Couples the two eyes during horizontal gaze

Accessory nerve (CN XI)

Motor supply for head turning and shoulder support

Amygdala

Links the significance of events to emotional responses

Ansa cervicalis

Cervical nerve loop supplying three strap muscles

Arachnoid granulations

Arachnoid projections associated with CSF outflow

Arachnoid mater

Middle meningeal layer over the CSF-filled space

Auriculotemporal nerve

V3 sensory pathway carrying fibers to the parotid

Broca's area

Frontal language region within a wider network

Caudate nucleus

Curved striatal nucleus beside the lateral ventricle

Central sulcus

Landmark between the frontal and parietal lobes

Cerebellar peduncles

Input and output bundles linking cerebellum and brainstem

Cerebellum

Adjusts movement, balance and motor learning

Cerebral aqueduct

Midbrain channel connecting the third and fourth ventricles

Cerebrum

Cerebral hemispheres and their connected internal structures

Cervical plexus

Upper cervical network for neck sensation and movement

Chorda tympani

Facial nerve branch for anterior tongue taste and saliva

Choroid plexus

Ventricular secretory tissue forming the blood–CSF barrier

Ciliary ganglion

Orbital parasympathetic relay for pupil and lens control

Cisterna magna

Large CSF cistern behind the lower brainstem

Corpus callosum

Communication between the cerebral hemispheres

Corticobulbar tract

Descending commands for head and neck movement

Diaphragma sellae

Dura between the pituitary and suprasellar region

Dura mater

Fibrous support around the central nervous system

Extradural (epidural) space

Different relationships in the skull and vertebral canal

Facial canal

The bony course of the facial nerve

Facial motor nucleus

Pontine neurons that move the face

Facial nerve (CN VII)

One nerve serving expression, taste and secretion

Falx cerebri

Dural partition in the longitudinal cerebral fissure

Fornix

Hippocampal connections within the memory network

Fourth ventricle

Where ventricular CSF reaches the subarachnoid space

Frontal lobe

Planning actions and guiding behavior

Globus pallidus

Pallidal circuits help select and regulate movement

Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)

Sensory, secretory and swallowing pathways of CN IX

Greater occipital nerve

A posterior-ramus route to the occipital scalp

Greater petrosal nerve

Facial-nerve fibers for tears and mucous secretion

Hippocampus

Binding experiences into lasting memories

Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)

The main cranial motor pathway to the tongue

Hypoglossal nucleus

Medullary motor neurons for tongue movement

Hypothalamus

Coordinating internal state with behavior and hormones

Inferior alveolar nerve

A mandibular pathway that divides into dental and mental branches

Insula

Cortex concealed beneath the opercula

Internal capsule

A compact route between cortex and deeper structures

Lateral sulcus

The cleft containing the Sylvian cistern

Lateral ventricles

CSF cavities shaped around deep cerebral structures

Lesser petrosal nerve

The otic-ganglion route for parotid secretion

Lingual nerve

General tongue sensation with accompanying facial-nerve fibers

Mammillary bodies

Hypothalamic nodes in the episodic-memory circuit

Mandibular nerve (V3)

Trigeminal sensation together with first-arch motor supply

Maxillary nerve (V2)

The trigeminal route through the pterygopalatine fossa

Medial longitudinal fasciculus

A link between eye and head movement pathways

Medulla oblongata

Brainstem junction with the spinal cord

Midbrain

Eye movement and motor circuits above the pons

Nucleus ambiguus

Medullary output for swallowing, voice and cardiac control

Nucleus of the solitary tract

Medullary processing of taste and internal-body signals

Occipital lobe

Cerebral cortex specialized for vision

Oculomotor nerve (CN III)

Motor and parasympathetic pathways to the eye

Oculomotor nucleus and Edinger-Westphal nucleus

Midbrain neurons controlling eye muscles and parasympathetic output

Olfactory nerve (CN I)

Receptor axons connecting the nose to the olfactory bulb

Ophthalmic nerve (V1)

Trigeminal sensation from the eye and upper face

Optic chiasm

Partial crossing of the visual pathways

Optic nerve (CN II)

Retinal output carried toward the brain

Otic ganglion

A parasympathetic station on the parotid pathway

Parietal lobe

Somatic sensation integrated with spatial and learned tasks

Pia mater

The meningeal layer closely following neural surfaces

Pons

Pontocerebellar connections and cranial nerve circuits

Postcentral gyrus

The cortical representation of somatic sensation

Precentral gyrus

Cortical output for voluntary movement

Pterygopalatine ganglion

Parasympathetic output to tears and mucosal glands

Putamen

A striatal region involved in movement and learned behavior

Reticular formation

Interconnected brainstem networks for state and bodily control

Stellate (cervicothoracic) ganglion

A sympathetic ganglion at the neck–thorax junction

Subarachnoid space

The CSF compartment between arachnoid and pia

Subdural space

A pathological cleavage plane near the dura–arachnoid interface

Submandibular ganglion

The facial-nerve relay for two major salivary glands

Substantia nigra

Dopaminergic modulation and inhibitory basal-ganglia output

Subthalamic nucleus

A glutamatergic node in basal-ganglia circuits

Superior cervical ganglion

A major sympathetic relay for the head

Temporal lobe

Auditory, memory and language-related networks

Tentorium cerebelli

A dural partition above the cerebellum

Thalamus

Reciprocal cortical connections for sensation, action and brain state

Third ventricle

The midline ventricular channel between diencephalic structures

Trigeminal ganglion

Sensory cell bodies for most trigeminal afferents

Trigeminal nerve (CN V)

Three sensory divisions with motor output through V3

Trigeminal nuclear complex

Sensory and motor nuclei distributed through the brainstem

Trochlear nerve (CN IV)

A crossed brainstem motor pathway to superior oblique

Vagus nerve (CN X)

Mixed cranial pathways extending into chest and abdomen

Vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)

Auditory and vestibular connections with the brainstem

Wernicke's area

A historical label within the language network