Editing Locus coeruleus (section)

==Anatomy==
{{multiple image
|image1 = Locus ceruleus - very low mag.jpg
|caption1 = [[Micrograph]] showing the locus coeruleus (upper-right of image) in an axial section of the [[pons]].  The [[fourth ventricle]] (quasi-triangular white area) is in the upper-left of the image.  The midline is seen on the left. The large white area in the upper-left corner is where the cerebellum would be. [[LFB stain|HE-LFB stain]].
|image2 = Locus coeruleus highlighted.jpg
|caption2 = Locus coeruleus highlighted in green.
|}}
[[File:Locus ceruleus - high mag.jpg|thumb|[[Micrograph]] showing the locus coeruleus. [[LFB stain|HE-LFB stain]]]]

The locus coeruleus (LC) is located in the posterior area of the rostral [[pons]] in the lateral floor of the [[fourth ventricle]]. It is composed of mostly medium-size [[neurons]]. [[Melanin]] granules inside the neurons contribute to its blue colour. Thus, it is also known as the ''blue nucleus'', or the ''nucleus pigmentosus pontis'' (heavily pigmented pontine nucleus).<ref name="NIH2025">{{cite web |title=NCI Metathesaurus |url=https://ncim.nci.nih.gov/ncimbrowser/pages/concept_details.jsf?code=C0023951&type=all&sortBy2=cui&sortBy=name&sab=MSH |website=ncim.nci.nih.gov |access-date=23 January 2025}}</ref> The [[neuromelanin]] is formed by the [[polymerization]] of norepinephrine and is analogous to the black [[dopamine]]-based neuromelanin in the [[substantia nigra]].

In adult humans (19-78) the locus coeruleus has 22,000 to 51,000 total pigmented neurons that range in size between 31,000 and 60,000 μm<sup>3</sup>.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 7848573 | volume=7 | issue=3 | title=Absolute number and size of pigmented locus coeruleus neurons in young and aged individuals |date=August 1994 | journal=J. Chem. Neuroanat. | pages=185–90 |vauthors=Mouton PR, Pakkenberg B, Gundersen HJ, Price DL | doi=10.1016/0891-0618(94)90028-0| s2cid=25412090 }}</ref>