Substantia nigra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The substantia nigra (Latin for "black substance", Sömmering) or locus niger is a heterogeneous portion of the midbrain, separating the pes (foot) from the tegmentum (covering), and an accessory to the basal ganglia system.
[edit] Components
It consists of two strongly contrasted ensembles, the pars compacta and adjacent dopaminergic groups, and another ensemble made up of the pars reticulata and the pars lateralis. The latter two, along with the pallidal nuclei, are elements of the core of the basal ganglia. Although intricate and interconnected, the two ensembles must imperatively be distinguished.
The substantia nigra compacta and surrounding is responsible for dopamine production in the brain, and therefore plays a vital role in reward and addiction.
[edit] Additional images
Schematic representation of the chief ganglionic categories (I to V).
Deep dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.
Deep dissection of brain-stem. Ventral view.
Coronal section through mid-brain.
Transverse section of mid-brain at level of inferior colliculi.
Transverse section of mid-brain at level of superior colliculi.
Coronal section of brain immediately in front of pons.
Human brain frontal (coronal) section
Dopamine and serotonin
