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ventral tegmental area

a10a

An unpaired midbrain region in the ventromedial portion of the reticular formation, the ventral tegmental area is bounded by identifiable neighbours: it lies medial to the substantia nigra and ventral to the red nucleus, and extends caudally from the posterior hypothalamus of the diencephalon. It contains dopamine neurons whose axons project to various limbic and cortical areas, and on that basis it is described as a critical component of the brain's reward circuitry. Its unpaired midline position distinguishes it from the paired dopaminergic cell group of the substantia nigra alongside it, and its designation a10a places it within the numbered catecholamine cell groups of the brainstem.

Unpaired midbrain region situated in the ventromedial portion of the reticular formation. The VTA is medial to the substantia nigra and ventral to the red nucleus, and extends caudally from the posterior hypothalamus in the diencephalon. The VTA contains dopamine neurons that project to various limbic and cortical areas and is a critical component of the brain's reward circuitry.

On this page
Type Nerve
Body System Nervous
Latin Name a10a
FMA ID 72438

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ventral tegmental area?

Unpaired midbrain region situated in the ventromedial portion of the reticular formation. The VTA is medial to the substantia nigra and ventral to the red nucleus, and extends caudally from the posterior hypothalamus in the diencephalon. The VTA contains dopamine neurons that project to various limb

What body system is the ventral tegmental area part of?

The ventral tegmental area is part of the Nervous.

What is the Latin name for the ventral tegmental area?

The Latin name for the ventral tegmental area is a10a.

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy — FMA:72438 Reference anatomy ontology (University of Washington)
  2. UBERON — UBERON:0002691 Cross-species anatomy ontology (EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service)

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Educational Disclaimer

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Data sources: Terminologia Anatomica, Foundational Model of Anatomy, Wikidata.