The motor column and sensory projections of the branchial cranial nerves in the frog.

Motor nuclei and primary afferent projections of branchial cranial nerves were shown with the CoCl₂ staining technique. Motor nuclei constitute a discontinuous column at the ventrolateral margin of the gray matter. The size of motoneurons decreases in the orocaudal direction within the column. The dendrites assemble in two main directions forming a dorsomedial and a ventrolateral dendritic array. The axons originate in the ventrolateral dendrites and run straight to the motor roots. Preganglionic vegetative neurons were found in a separate group at the level of the abducens nucleus, and intermingled with motoneurons at the level of the glossopharyngeus and vagus nuclei. Their axons join the visceral sensory roots of the respective nerve. The tractus spinalia trigemini has a short and weak ascending limb, and a strong descending limb which decussates in the first and second segments of the spinal cord. A few uncrossed large fibers continue as far as the midthoracic level, In addition to trigeminal fibers, a small contingent of facial fibers and a significant number of vagus fibers contribute to the tractus spinalis. Small caliber fibers of the tractus and fine collaterals of large caliber fibers terminate in a continuous column which lies, in its largest part, in the neuropil medial to the tractus. The pattern of fiber terminations in this area is identical with that in the substantia gelatinosa. This area is called the nucleus spinalis trigemini. Coarse collaterals terminate in a discontinuous column of large and medium-sized neurons, extending caudally to the obex region. This area is the largest at the level of the trigeminus nucleus and is called the nucleus principalis trigemini. The cells of origin of the mesencephalic tractus of the trigeminus lie in the second and fourth layers of the optic tectum. The descending fibers run ventral to the tractus spinalis in a separate bundle. They emit collaterals to the large fiber termination areas and to branchiomotor nuclei. Direct contacts are established with trigeminus motoneurons. In the obex region a significant number of collaterals invade the dorsomedial part of the gray matter. The fasciculus solitarius begins at the level of the trigeminal nucleus and terminates in the commissura infima at the medullospinal border. The nucleus solitarius begins at the oral pole of the glossopharyngeus nucleus. The fasciculus receives fibers from the facialis (intermedius), glossopharyngeus and vagus nerves. The fibers spread over the total extent of the fasciculus: the facialis fibers exhibit a preference for a dorsomedial position and the glossopharyngeusvagus fibers for a ventrolateral position. There are several interchanging fibers between the somatic sensory and visceral sensory projecting areas. The results indicate a close similarity between amphibian and mammalian brain stem motor nuclei and sensory projections, though some parts are present in a primordial form in the frog.