Olive nucleus

Olivary body
The medulla, showing the olivary bodies lying adjacent to the pyramids.
Transverse section of medulla oblongata below the middle of the olive.
Details
Part of	Medulla
Identifiers
Latin	oliva
MeSH	A08.186.211.132.810.406.574
Dorlands /Elsevier	o_02/12589442
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy []

In anatomy, the olivary bodies or simply olives (Latin oliva and olivae, singular and plural, respectively) are a pair of prominent oval structures in the medulla oblongata, the lower portion of the brainstem. They contain the olivary nuclei.

The olivary body is located on the anterior surface of the medulla lateral to the pyramid, from which it is separated by the antero-lateral sulcus and the fibers of the hypoglossal nerve.

Behind (dorsally), it is separated from the postero-lateral sulcus by the ventral spinocerebellar fasciculus. In the depression between the upper end of the olive and the pons lies the vestibulocochlear nerve.

In humans, it measures about 1.25 cm. in length, and between its upper end and the pons there is a slight depression to which the roots of the facial nerve are attached.

The external arcuate fibers wind across the lower part of the pyramid and olive and enter the inferior peduncle.

The olive consists of two parts:

The inferior olive in itself is divided to 3 main nuclei:

Small additional inferior olivary structures consist of the dorsal cap of Kooy and the ventrolateral outgrowth.

Schematic representation of the chief ganglionic categories (I to V).

Superficial dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.

Deep dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.

Deep dissection of brain-stem. Lateral view.

Deep dissection of brain-stem. Ventral view.

Section of the medulla oblongata at about the middle of the olive.

Diagram showing the course of the arcuate fibers.

The formatio reticularis of the medulla oblongata, shown by a transverse section passing through the middle of the olive.

Dissection showing the projection fibers of the cerebellum.

Basal view of a human brain