The pons
Pons · pons
The bulging middle of the brainstem, a bridge carrying signals between the brain and the cerebellum.
What it does
The pons sits in front of the cerebellum, between the midbrain and the medulla. Huge numbers of fibres cross it to connect the cortex with the cerebellum, helping coordinate movement. It also contains centres for breathing rhythm, facial sensation and the deep, dreaming phase of sleep.
Surprising fact
Its name is Latin for "bridge", and it helps generate rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the phase in which most vivid dreams happen.
Why it matters
During REM sleep the pons switches off most of your muscles, which stops you acting out your dreams. When that switch fails, people can thrash and shout in their sleep.
Nearby
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Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.