ambiguous nucleus - BrainInfo

ambiguous nucleus (AMB)

The term ambiguous nucleus refers to a long narrow group of neurons embedded in the medullary reticular formation from the spinomedullary junction to the level of the inferior olivary complex. Defined by Nissl stain, it is undivided in the human ( Koutcherov-2004 ) and the mouse ( Hof-2000 ). In the macaque some authors subdivide it into three parts: a rostral compact part of the ambiguous nucleus, an intermediate subcompact part of the ambiguous nucleus and a caudal loose part of the ambiguous nucleus ( Paxinos-2009a ). In the rat it is divided into two parts: the dorsal division of the ambiguous nucleus, one of the neuroendocrine motor zone, somatic motor neuron pools, and the ventral division of the ambiguous nucleus, one of the preganglionic autonomic pools, parasympathetic component ( Swanson-2004 ).

Also known as: nucleus ambiguus, Nucleus ambiguus, Nucleus innominatus, ambiguus nucleus, ambiguous nucleus

NeuroNames ID: 765

All Names & Sources

1 of 15

Showing 15 synonym(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 15 synonym(s)

Name:

núcleo ambiguo

Language:

Spanish

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1994

Citation:

edicion 4, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore; traducción de Editorial Medica Panamericana, Buenos Aires, efectuada por el Dr. Alejandro Kaufman

Source Title:

Neuroanatomía Fundamentos

Name:

nukleus ambigus

Language:

Indonesian

Organism:

human

Source:

Noback-1982

Citation:

Jakarta: Penerbit Buku Kedokteran EGC, 1982

Source Title:

Anatomi Susunan Saraf Manusia, Prinsip-Prinsip Dasar Neurobiologi

Name:

nucleo ambiguo

Language:

Italian

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1995

Citation:

EdiSes, s.r.l.- Napoli, 1995

Source Title:

Fondamenti di Neuroanatomia

Name:

nucleus ambiguus

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1983

Source Title:

Human Neuroanatomy

Name:

Nucleus ambiguus

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Nomina-1983

Citation:

Fifth Edition, Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, 1983

Source Title:

Nomina Anatomica

Name:

Nucleus ambiguus

Language:

Latin

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis

Source:

Shantha-1968

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1968

Source Title:

A Stereotaxic Atlas Of The Java Monkey Brain (Macaca irus)

Name:

Nucleus innominatus

Language:

Latin

Organism:

Macaca mulatta

Source:

Oertel-1969

Citation:

Journal fuer Hirnforschung 11: pp. 377-405, 1969

Source Title:

Zur zyto- und myeloarchitektonik des Rhombencephalon des Rhesusaffen (Macaca mulatta Zimmerman)

Name:

ambiguus nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1983

Source Title:

Human Neuroanatomy

Name:

ambiguus nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Bowden-1997

Citation:

Source Title:

A digital Rosetta stone for primate brain terminology

Name:

Amb

Language:

acronym

Organism:

macaque

Source:

Martin-2000

Citation:

Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000

Source Title:

Primate Brain Maps: Structure Of The Macaque Brain

Name:

двойное ядро

Language:

Russian

Organism:

human

Source:

Baev-2000

Citation:

Moskva: Meditsina, 2000.

Source Title:

Magnitno-Resonansnaia Tomografiia Golovnogo Mozga: Normal'naia Anatomiia

Name:

AMB

Language:

acronym

Organism:

mouse

Source:

Hof-2000

Citation:

Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000

Source Title:

Comparative Cytoarchitectonic Atlas of the C57BL/6 and 129/Sv Mouse Brains

Name:

ambiguous nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

Unspecified

Source:

NeuroNames

Citation:

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Source Title:

NeuroNames

Name:

Amb

Language:

acronym

Organism:

Macaca mulatta

Source:

Paxinos-2009a

Citation:

Amsterdam: Elsevier-Academic Press. 2009

Source Title:

The Rhesus Monkey Brain, Second Edition

Name:

AMB

Language:

acronym

Organism:

Source:

Citation:

Source Title:

Illustrations

Showing 6 illustration(s)

myelin stain & diagram of
all aspects in
human

labeled line drawings of
sagittal section in
Macaca fascicularis

multiple views of
3D reconstruction in
Macaca mulatta

Nissl stain & diagram of
coronal section in
mouse

Nissl stain & diagram of
sagittal section in
mouse

photomicrograph of
coronal section in
primate

Species With The Structure

Equivalent By	Human	Macaque	Rat	Mouse
Topology	Has The Structure	Has The Structure	Has The Structure	Relevant Data Not Located

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Showing 6 record(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 6 record(s)

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

ambiguus nucleus

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

nucleus ambiguus

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus ambiguus

Source:

Nomina-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis (Macaca fascicularis)

Their Name:

Nucleus ambiguus

Source:

Shantha-1968

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Macaca mulatta (Macaca mulatta)

Their Name:

Nucleus innominatus

Source:

Oertel-1969

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

ambiguus nucleus

Source:

Bowden-1997

Models Where It Appears

Structural CNS Model - Macaque

Brain structures of the macaque are illustrated in BrainInfo’s NeuroMaps macaque brain atlas. Structures are grouped by proximity in a hierarchy corresponding to the central nervous system hierarchy of NeuroNames ( Bowden-1995 Martin-2000 ). Structures in the NeuroMaps atlas are based on the segmentation of an MRI of the brain of a 3-year old male rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). The atlas is most useful for targeting structures for implantating electrodes and chemtrodes. Updated 29 Oct 2025.

metabrain (metencephalon)

cisterna magna (cerebellomedullary cistern)

choroidal fissure