Reticular Formation made easy-Neuroanatomy

Introduction

Reticular (netlike) formation refers to the area, having a mixture of cell body of neurons and nerves fibres or you can say that you can not actually differentiate collection of neuronal cell bodies (grey matter) or the collection of nerve fibres (white matter)

When you study section of brain stem , pretty much just by looking at it ,you can say that this is grey matter and this is white matter but what about a region which actually looks like a mixture of both (white and grey matter) , that region is -“Reticular Formation” . Interestingly big portion of central core of brain stem is – “Reticular Formation”.

Anatomy

Anatomical extension :-

You will not believe that the reticular formation extends from the Diencephalon (like reticular nuclei in thalami) to the spinal cord . Yeah it is so spread out…..

Extension can be actual extension or it can be just a projection but no matter in which form , it does exists from Diencephalon to spinal cord

Well , you can not actually differentiate the cell bodies and nerve fibres in reticular formation but there are certain specific areas where some of neuron cell bodies get more condensed than usual and forms – “Reticular nuclei“

Reticular nuclei are not few in number but they are very numerous and to an extent that they form a diffused pattern on various location at neuraxis (Central nervous system axis) and this is how they form “Longitudinal Columns” across their anatomical extension.

There are 3 Longitudinal Columns of the reticular nuclei named on the basis of their location.

1. Median Longitudinal column
2. Medial Longitudinal column
3. Lateral Longitudinal column

Note-We are not supposed to know super details of these columns , until we want to burden our memory .

Things which we need to know about the column is given below:-

1)- Median longitudinal column:-

Position of column nuclei :- Median

Cell bodies of neuron :- Intermediate size

Also called as raphe nuclei.

2)-Medial longitudinal column:-

Position of column nuclei-Medial side

Cell bodies of neuron:- Biggest in size

Also called as magnocellular column

3)-Lateral longitudinal column:-

Position of column nuclei:- Lateral side

Cell bodies of neuron:-Smallest in size

Also called as Parvocellular (Parvus=small) column

Look at the diagram below to really get idea about these column:-

Combined anatomy and physiology of these columns

Before really getting to real things and making things super complex , I want to talk about some of the function of reticular formation , so that you can relate how they are able to perform the function after studying anatomy and physiology

Functions:-

• It acts as switch on/off button for the cerebral cortex – You know your brain is active and constantly working hard to

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