Arbor vitae (anatomy)
| Arbor vitae | |
|---|---|
Figure shows cerebellum and surrounding regions; sagittal view of one hemisphere. A: Midbrain. B: Pons. C: Medulla. D: Spinal cord. E: Fourth ventricle. F: Arbor vitae. G: Flocculus. H: Tonsil. I: Posterior lobe. J: Anterior lobe. K: Inferior colliculus. L: Superior colliculus. | |
Animation of the left half of the human brain. Arbor vitae is illustrated in white. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | arbor vitae cerebelli |
| NeuroNames | 692 |
| NeuroLex ID | nlx_anat_20090101 |
| TA98 | A14.1.07.401 |
| TA2 | 5789 |
| FMA | 72541 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The arbor vitae /ˌɑːrbɔːr ˈvaɪtiː/ (Latin for "tree of life") is the cerebellar white matter, so called for its branched, tree-like appearance. In some ways it more closely resembles a fern, and is present in both cerebellar hemispheres.[1] The pattern is most apparent on a midsagittal section of the cerebellum.[2]
The arbor vitae forms the central white-matter core of the cerebellum and serves as a conduit for pathways that carry sensory and motor information to and from the cerebellar cortex. It is continuous with the cerebellar white-matter tracts entering and leaving the cerebellum through the cerebellar peduncles.
Within the arbor vitae, the deep cerebellar nuclei: the dentate, globose, emboliform and the fastigial nuclei are situated. These nuclei give rise to the major output (efferent projections) of the cerebellum to other parts of the nervous system.[3]
Additional images
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Dissection video (1 min 14 s). Describing the arbor vitae.
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Midsagittal section of the brainstem.
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Midsagittal section of the brainstem. Arbor vitae labelled at the center.
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Midsagittal section of the brainstem.
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Coronal section of the cerebellum.
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Arbor vitae and cerebellar peduncles.
References
- ^ Saladin, Kenneth (2012). Anatomy and Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. p. 526. ISBN 978-0-07-337825-1.
- ^ "Arbor Vitae Complete Anatomy". www.elsevier.com. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ^ Sodicoff, Marvin. "Cerebellum: Anatomy". Neuroanatomy Lab Resource Appendices. Temple University. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
External links